Bad adaptation; poor direction

Rating: 1/10 (18 June 2000)

Read the book and, although it was disturbing and repulsive, I found it to be a well written examination of vacuousness and lack of individuality and purpose.
So, what was up with this movie then?? It was B-grade, at best. The direction was horrible. I know Christian Bale is a capable actor, so I can see no other reason for him having been so "over the top". The urinal cake scene from the book would have been a wonderfully comic/cruel addition to the film, if it weren't for the fact that the entire movie comes off as comic/cruel. You don't know if you should be laughing or not, it's so ridiculous. It simply sucked. It was a joke. Too bad...it held great promise. The only good thing about it, actually, was Bale's astoundingly, mouth-wateringly buff bod.