Editorial Review:Description:Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a Wall Street yuppie obsessed with success, status and style, with a stunning fiancé (Reese Witherspoon). He is also a psychotic killer who rapes, murders and dismembers both strangers and acquaintances without provocation or purpose. Based on the controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the film offers a sharp satire to the dark side of yuppie culture in the ‘80s, while setting forth a vision that is both terrifying and chilling.
Amazon.com essential video:The Bret Easton Ellis novel
American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the 'me' culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (
I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, 'We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation.' Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (
Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane.
--Sean Axmaker
Amazon.com:The Bret Easton Ellis novel
American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the 'me' culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (
I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, 'We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation.' Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (
Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane.
--Sean Axmaker
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Not for everyone, but...
Because I enjoy Christian Bale's work very much, I was anxious to see this film. It is admittedly violent and edgy, but if you focus on the nuances that make up an actor's craft, you will see this young man is extraordinarily talented. He worked very hard to get this role and is ideally cast in the film. I can also recommend 3:10 to Yuma if you can concentrate on his underplayed performance and ignore Russell Crowe and his gang. Bale was the believable character.
American Psycho is NOT for the immature viewer, but if you are interested in dissecting characterization and film performance, this is a most worthwhile addition to your collection! - Elisabeth Fuller, Windsor, VA
Rating: 
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Horrible Horrible Movie
* This movie was terrible. Barely a plot, horrible acting. I don't know what all the humdrum was about. I hated it. ...
Rating: -
My Review of American Psycho
I went into purchasing this film, feeling a tad uneasy of what I would be viewing. I didn't know whether I'd be seeing a horror movie or a satire and a comedy.
To my utter delight. It was a mixture of all three listed items. It was a horror in all of its fantasmic images, but it was also satirical. I laughed at several parts of the movie and cringed when I knew another death was coming! If you see it, you'll know what I mean. And of course the film is explicit, graphic in its sexual presentation. But that's only to further emphasize how utterly lost and dominant that man has truly become. For instance, he can't even handle the fact that another man 'has' a better business card than him. You can see it each time on his face.
There was another thing that got me. The man is crying out for help, crying out to be heard in all of the insanity that he's either brought on other people, but also, himself.
I've watched this movie once, but I will be watching it again, and again, and again...This coming from someone who vowed never to see it because of its alleged contents! It's a very cool movie.
Fact is, I only got this movie because Christian Bale was in it and I've been collecting his other movies since The Dark Knight.
But the man can act!
Oh! The ending. Well, that's just something that you'll have to sort out for yourself (not giving anything away, grins). But it's definitely something to see (you must rent or buy this movie!).
Again, I hope that this review was informative, coming from someone who really had no intention of viewing this movie at all.
Go out!
Buy it!
And enjoy it!
And then watch it again!
You'll be glad you did!
Rating: -
Rubbish
* Very simplistic and cliche \"ooooh, he's so evil\" screenplay, and Bale gives yet another stiff performance, with the same frown and pursed lips as in every other film he's done. Maybe he should do Metal Gear Solid; The Movie with that tough-guy frown. ...
Rating: -
IF YOU SEE PATRICK BATEMAN -- RUN LIKE HELL!!!!!
This movie shows violence toward women, men and the narrow escape of a kitten from an ATM machine.
Ahhhhhhh! What can I say? Christian Bale is an incredible actor and his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" is unforgettable. Bale's Patrick Bateman is drop-dead gorgeous, cut, successful, swaggering, demented, obsessed and, of course, p-s-y-c-h-o. And comedic in a very, very dark way. His livingroom scene with Jared Leto (his nemesis in the movie) is so disturbing you DO indeed catch yourself grinning. Patrick's obsession with Jared Leto's character AND business cards, helps the viewer understand that Patrick is not just insanely jealous -- he IS insane.
Women in this movie are just meat for Patrick's grinder. He enjoys killing. Women are easy to kill. He has easy access to women so, hey, why not slaughter them? The types of women he attracts are apparently as shallow as he is with the exception of the street prostitute who you will probably feel sympathy for.
If anyone begins this movie envying or admiring Patrick Bateman and still does at the end of the movie, I would suggest they too are crazy. Patrick is probably every human being's worst nightmare. The guy takes himself and his position in life WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. He indulges his every desire (mostly sadistic). He is a leech. A vampire. He takes and gives nothing back. You can knock on his door and nobody's home. He is only happy in someone else's skin.
This movie is violent and has disturbing elements but it is very well acted by Bale. I would agree this is a dark comedy and recommend it for its entertainment value.
