To film the unfilmable

Rating: 8/10 (27 October 2010)

We had to wait nine long years but it finally happened; 'American Psycho' was filmed! And what's more, director Mary Harron did a fantastic job. Bret Easton Ellis' novel created a massive controversy upon its release in 1991, the book's graphic sex and violence offending many readers. There were calls for the novel to be banned, which in turn created a very interesting debate about free speech. The book is a modern classic; not as good as Ellis' masterpiece, 'Glamorama', but stunning nonetheless.
Christian Bale stars as the psychotic, fashion- and music-obsessed Wall Street broker Patrick Bateman who has everything: good looks, a great body, a beautiful girlfriend, a high-paying job, and a spectacular Central Park West apartment. But appearances can be deceiving, and just beneath Bateman's saturnine surface simmers a rage and madness which is spiralling out of control.
The film looks fantastic, full of chic fashions and beautiful people. And it sounds great too, with a splendid soundtrack featuring David Bowie ('Something in the Air'), Huey Lewis and the News ('Hip to be Square'), New Order ('True Faith'), and others. 'Something in the Air' plays over the initial end credits; the same song plays over the initial end credits of Christoper Nolan's mind-bending 'Memento'.
The sequel, 'American Psycho 2: All-American Girl' is what you would expect from a direct-to-DVD release: utter dreck. William Shatner puts in an appearance, and his presence is always most welcome.
I do hope 'Glamorama' ('Specks!') is filmed because it would make a great movie. I recently read 'Imperial Bedrooms' which is a sequel to 'Less Than Zero', and quite enjoyed it. Ellis is a massive talent and I look forward to the film adaptation of his 'Lunar Park'.
Much of the sex and violence in the novel 'American Psycho' does not make it into the film. Harron has used a very classy and restrained approach, although the movie does still have its nasty moments. I hope she makes more films because she is clearly a very talented director and someone to watch.