Toned down from the novel, but the satire is still intact.

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2003)

Bret Easton Ellis' novel was thought to be unfilmable, but it's great someone tried, and pulled no punches about it. Sure, some of the more sick and tasteless scenes were omitted, but the tone and biting satire of the piece remains, and that is what's important.
Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, a 1980s Wall Street tycoon in NYC who has it all...and he KNOWS it--good looks, a nice body, loads of money, a penthouse apartment and a rich bitch fiancée (Reese Witherspoon). He's also a psycho suffering from the shallowness, prejudice and personal anonymity in his upscale lifestyle who can't control his homicidal tendencies.
This film is initially an assault on yuppiedom and 1980s conservatism (with perfect music score by John Cale and appropriately sunny pop tunes), and although this doesn't necessarily have enough satiric stabs for a feature length movie, it's compulsively watchable nonetheless. In a world of platinum cards, Valentino suits, decadent nightclubs, A-list restaurants and exaggeratedly vapid characters, it's pretty outrageous seeing Bale (who's terrific) stab a bum ("Get a goddamn job!"), axe a coworker, aim a nail gun at the back of his meek secretaries head and, covered in blood, chasing a hooker down a hallway with a chainsaw. He also quotes Ed Gein, watches Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE (and porn tapes), and listens to Ronald Reagan lie on national TV about Iran Contra.
Like Harron's I SHOT ANDY WARHOL, the movie, no matter how out-there it gets, is grounded by the extremely passionate, uncompromising beliefs of the protagonist. Harron co-scripted with Guinevere Turner (who also appears as a victim). On a side note, the amusing raincoat/murder scene may have actually been borrowed from the film Hollywood CHAINSAW HOOKERS!