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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
Additional Features
Prior to the theatrical release of American Psycho, director Mary Harron agreed to shorten one scene in order to avoid the dreaded NC-17 rating. The controversial scene--in which Christian Bale's character engages in wild sexual activity with two prostitutes--has been restored to its original pre-release length for the film's unrated release on VHS and DVD. Apart from the shortening of this scene, the R-rated and unrated versions of the film are identical.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not an horror movie,
By danny "danny" (Québec, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: American Psycho (DVD)
I just want to tell that is not an horror movie. So if you hate it because you hate horror movies, you have it all wrong. It is an extraordinary satire and it is full of dark humor. Just take a look at the "singing in the rain" murder with Bateman in raincoat. Wow! Great! And Christian Bale is, as usual, really excellent.
4.0 out of 5 stars
"I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane?",
By
This review is from: American Psysho (DVD)
Mary Harron's film is a depiction of the Bret Easton Ellis (Rules of Attraction, Less Than Zero) controversial novel of the same name. It's only significant difference is that it leaves out some of the more gruesome scenarios in Ellis's book. I'm not sure whether that's a drawback or not but there was some rage missing in our killer's actions. The film operates as a first person narrative and contains the same kind of oddball combinations of extreme violence and dark humor. This kind of humor is exactly my kind of humor, so I laughed at American Psycho throughout. Mary Harron also seemed to recognize that the novel was old enough that she should approach the film as a period piece and she executes this well. Everything about this movie feels like the late 1980s. She creates a virtual remake of the novel as I pictured it in my head years ago. From what I understand Harron also fought hard to keep the role of Patrick Bateman (the title character and the story's protagonist) in the capable hands of Christian Bale. Bale is outstanding here and Harron really seems to be a directorial force with her actors.Patrick Bateman is a 27 year-old wealthy and successful investor. He is clearly a product of a privileged and ultra-competitive background. We follow him around and listen to all of his observations of the world he lives in. This is of course the yuppie culture of the 1980s. Perhaps Bateman is the extreme yuppie and a harbinger to the ills of this socially produced subgroup and the culture they exist in. As it turns out his world features the substantiality that he is indeed a murderer. Unfortunately no one seems to notice this, despite his blatant and at times hilariously dry claims that he is a psycho. Evidence of his murders also seemed to disappear quite easily. American Psycho, like the novel, is a great satire that might leave viewers with some frustrating questions in the end. What was real and what was imaginary? The rest of the cast includes Wilem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Chloë Sevigny, and Reese Witherspoon. All are fairly effective within their roles but the film weighed heavily on Bale's performance. He understands Patrick Bateman and makes the character the mind-blowingly shallow and overly competitive monster he is. The thing that surprises me most is that a great female director like Harron decided to take on a story so pervasively accused of misogyny. Harron's other films are about a radical feminist (Valerie Salanas in I Shot Andy Warhol) and an icon of women's liberation (Bettie Page in The Notorious Bettie Page). I almost think she intentionally went against the grain here to break out of the mold Hollywood can often create for women and minority directors. Good for her. Her movies are interesting and American Psycho is a stand-out.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Always amusing,
By
This review is from: American Psycho (DVD)
Perhaps it is my dark humour, but I've always enjoyed this film. Never take it too seriously, however. If you're looking for a dark satire about Wall Street and corporate America in the '80s, you've got it. Plus, Christian Bale is beyond excellent. Rarely have I been disappointed with any of his films. Reese Witherspoon's character is a bit like her Legally Blonde one later, just slightly less ditzy (and far less pink).Worth at least one watch, but I'd recommend buying it.
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