|
 AMERICAN
PSYCHO
With
Christian
Bale,
Willem
Dafoe,
Jared
Leto,
Josh
Lucas,
Samantha
Mathis,
Matt
Ross,
Bill
Sage,
Chloe
Sevigny,
Cara
Seymour,
Justin
Theroux,
Guinevere
Turner,
Reese
Witherspoon
Directed
by
Mary
Harron
Finally
this
long
awaited
controversial
novel
got
the
celluloid
treatment.
Sure
the
excessive
violence,
brutality
and
sadism
of
a
self-obsessed
80s
Yuppie
on
a
private
killing
spree
is
toned
down
immensely
for
the
film
version
of
Bret
Easton
Ellis'
best
seller,
but
that
in
itself
adds
to
the
film's
satirical
mystique.
The
boredom
of
young
successful
Wall
Street
financial
broker
Patrick
Bateman
has
him
meanders
through
a
fog
of
social
events,
trendy
restaurants,
designer
clothing
labels
and
the
total
and
utter
pretentiousness
of
it
all.
There
is
never
a
shortage
of
money
and
fun
can
be
bought
without
flinching.
Patrick's
inner
demons
come
out
in
his
lust
for
murder
and
maiming.
This
anti-hero
is
played
marvelously
by
Christian
Bale
who,
since
his
debut
in
Spielberg's
Empire
Of
The
Sun,
had
been
pretty
selective
in
choosing
his
roles.
Most
recently
he
was
in
the
phenomenal
Velvet
Goldmine
and
the
villain
in
the
updated
Shaft.
Here,
you
love
to
hate
him
as
he
disfigures
and
murders
prostitutes
and
homeless
people,
axe
colleagues
(literally),
maim
animals
and
cheat
on
his
airheaded
fiance.
This
film
is
a
vivid
and
biting
modern
horror
that
doesn't
only
poke
fun
at
the
privileged
and
their
carnivorous
ways,
but
also
reflects
on
how
wrapped
up
man
can
be
with
himself,
unaware
of
the
madness
surrounding
us
-
not
a
finger
lifted
to
alter
the
status
quo.
This
altered
state
of
excess
gnaws
at
Bateman's
brain
as
he
sinks
deeper
and
deeper
into
his
depraved
blood
drenched
alter
ego.
The
added
features
on
the
South
African
release
are
a
little
disappointing
for
such
a
cool
film.
You
get
cast
biographies
and
a
featurette.
A
commentary
track
on
how
the
writer
and
director
approached
the
work
would've
been
great.
Still,
can't
beat
the
old
wide
screen
format.
5
/
A
-
PB
1
2
3
4
5
6
A
-
B
-
C
|
