feed me a stray cat.

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2007)

First off, know I laughed the entire movie. And when I wasn't laughing I was covering my gaping smile with my hands.
If only every movie Bale did was this awesome. He brought that dark/sexy/maniacal/obsessed role to an apex. Nicholson's crazy in the Shining, but Bale is the best f'n crazy guy ever! I'm not gay, but I would totally let him give me a speech on shitty pop music, boss me around, then, I don't know, take a nail gun to the back of my head. Jesus, this movie was fun.
The lampooning of the whole '80s excess' point was exercised excitingly and was bitingly hilarious. Notwithstanding the business card scene or the opening monologue, there are smaller, i feel more significant, parts that really twist the darkly comedic knife a little more: 1) He is finally alone in his office (after the high-power setup) and he turns the TV on and its 'the price is right'. end scene. hilarious.
2) Once the movie picks up more and you know the dude's psycho, he goes out to eat and there's this little inner monologue where he gets so mortified that you think someone that he's killed is stapled to the ceiling but the "flood" of anxiety is because he was unsure about the availability of seating at the restaurant. also, equally, hilarious.
More so, there was excellently selective directing. It was beautiful and taut, with a great Edward scissor-hands-esquire feeling of a fantasy world (i.e., dragging a bag clearly full of 'body' past the front door man, i.e., the whole damn movie). everything works so well in its unbelievability and graveness that once the movie is on its way, it stops being an issue and allows the viewer to simply enjoy the film.
To further toot Bale's horn, it seems like the rest of the cast could have been Popsicle sticks hung by fishing line in every scene because he TRULY did make this movie. It kind of makes you try to think of other movies that were so good because of the main character's portrayal. And if Leonardo DiCaprio took the role, heaven forbid, it would have been such a misplaced decision that 'American Psycho' could have been another 'Basketball Diaries' (because, hey, didn't he look like a twelve year old junkie?). Great casting.
And don't get me started about the clearly audible, yet somehow indistinct, comments he makes to people about his psychosis (See "murders and executions, mostly"; "i like to dissect girls"; "I need to engage in homicidal behavior on a massive scale"). All of that was almost too much to bear.
All in all, this is such a fantastic film that has proved difficult to talk about in public because whether imitating or discussing, people look at you like you are a sick piece of sh*t.
What could be better?