Shocking perhaps, but ultimately not memorable at all

Rating: 4/10 (31 March 2017)

I think it is safe to say that almost everybody over the age of 25 has at least heard of the film "American Psycho" and so so many have also seen it I am sure. I myself have not until today, so I was certainly curious how this one would turn out. The film runs for slightly under 100 minutes (including credits) and was made back in 2000, so not too long anymore until it has its 20th anniversary. This is the most known work for most of the people involved in the making here, especially director Mary Harron, who is also one of the two writers who adapted the Bret Easton Ellis novel. And even with Bale having the Batman movies in his body of work and an Oscar for a boxing movie, there are still many people who think his turn as Patrick Bateman is still his career-defining role. The character's name said something even to me without having seen this film.
But I must say that ultimately I was very disappointed. Bale is an actor who always gives it his everything and the result is that sometimes he is just tremendously good, but on other occasions he is also off the mark and slightly on the hammy side and there were moments like that in "American Psycho" too, for example in the one shot with all the blood splatter that reminded me the television show "Dexter". Anyway, I still think he elevated the material overall here and is one of the better components. The film itself is a mess in terms of the script at times especially. I think the best moments were probably all the ones in Bateman's apartment and I am not just talking about the bloody murder sequences, but also the conversations. Bateman seems like a cold-blooded killer at times, but then you also feel that it is inside him and that he tries to fight it even, for example when he tries to protect his assistant from the beast that he is. And even if he killed several male characters, especially early on, he is a complete misogynist and I am not somebody who uses this term lightly. Just remember the "head on a stick" quote or so. That even shocked the other bankers at his table.
Anyway, people who like Bale will probably enjoy this film more than usual. I personally also like Witherspoon, Dafoe and Leto for example and I felt that this trio was so underused and wasted in here. Of course, you can make a point that it is all about Bateman, but still. Dafoe's character is the best example. He seems to smell something is wrong with our "hero" here, but it's not about arresting Bateman, not even after the confession and the best example is how the film ends. The very last shot. I will not go into detail about this one any more. You will know what I mean when you see it. Anyway, overall very little is really memorable here apart from Bale's performance perhaps and the general subject. But there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of other films about serial killers out there that aren't worse to be honest. And these do not get 1% of the attention that this one here is getting. After watching this one, I can see why critics do not like it as much as general audiences. I think "American Psycho" is a really overseen movie (does that word exist? the opposite of underseen) and also very overrated. If you are among the very few who haven't seen it yet, I suggest you keep it that way. You really aren't missing too much.