Christian Bale lacks something

Rating: 4/10 (23 July 2001)

************ SPOILERS ******************** My mistake was that I've read the book before I saw the movie - big mistake. My image of Pat Bateman was a hyper violent nutcase in perfect disguise - controlling and manipulating his environment in his "normal" life and murdering and torturing at nighttime. But the insanity should be visible throughout - in every move he makes.
The movie and Christian Bale *tries* to make that image, but they just don't make it - Bale is not able to balance on the edge between insanity and normal - he does not convince me at all. And that is a major flaw since the entire movie is based upon this image.
I don't want to see the gore, the blood or the rat thing - it would have made me really sick (I almost vomitted when I read the book) - that is not what I'm lacking in this movie. I want Christian Bale to convince me as Pat Bateman - that's not easy I know - I guess only two or three actors could have pulled it off and Christian Bale is not among those. Sorry to say it but it really ruins the movie.
The ending of the movie is strange but it really just follows the book. I believe it wants us to ask this question: "was all this just a dream in Pat Batemans sick mind - that he in need for some action just invented the whole thing ... or has the society just accepted that these brutal murders are OK - a sort of apathy as seen in Se7en?".
The book: 8 of 10, the movie: 4 of 10.