A masterpiece for Mary Herron and Christian Bale

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2016)

There aren't many movies this bizarre that I would consider masterpieces, but Mary Herron's American Psycho (yes, a woman directed this!) deserves no lesser title.
It would be disrespectful to the hugely talented women behind the camera to say that the film is all about Christian Bale, but he deserves a huge amount of its praise. Bateman is a flat-out psychopath but never feels overacted. Bale is completely at home in Bateman's skin, whether he is displaying gross levels of narcissism, ranting like a maniac or just walking around bearing a grim scowl. The accent that Bale chooses for Bateman is inspired; generic and mellow yet bubbling with madness. The way a smile slides straight from Bateman's face conveys that he does indeed only feel disgust and greed. He's wildly funny and yet greatly horrifying. The perfect anti-hero.
American Psycho is so much more than a well-acted black comedy, and that is thanks to the incredible direction of Mary Herron (who has done nothing of note since and has so much to offer!) along with the script she co-wrote with Guinevere Taylor adapted from the Bret Easton Ellis book. American Psycho is a commentary on corporate America, where everyone is the same and no one stands out but everyone seems to think that they do. This is best seen in the business card scene, as well as a less famous and openly funny scene in which men are all doing cocaine in the toilet cubicles and yet shouting at each other for bothering their private business. Characters note slight differences from each other that are not objectively apparent to audience members whilst flat out ignoring similarities. Bateman's instructions to really listen to the music "It's Hip to Be Square" are just as much for the audience - the world says that it is great to be uninteresting and fit in.
The script adds more layers in commentary on what rich people are like. Devilishly scripted scenes such as corporate idiots trying to sound smart talking about world issues - "don't you know about Sri Lanka? The Sikhs are killing like a tonne of Israelis over there" - are as much a commentary as that listed above. Bateman and the other corporates are constantly trying to impress people with their connections, ability to book last minute restaurants, and social status. The casting of Reese Witherspoon as Bateman's glamorous fiancé whom he utterly despises contributes perfectly to this aspect of the film, a stark contrast to the unglamorous Chloe Sevigny and Cara Seymour.
Many can get through the first viewing of American Psycho and be pleasantly entertained by wacky and hilarious moments. But the loose grip on reality is what might turn some off. The last 20 minutes is almost impossible to follow unless you have decided on an interpretation. I interpret the film as being fantasies in Bateman's head, all the murders simply being doodles on his compendium (as he is never seen actually doing work). Mary Herron's brilliant direction never favours one interpretation over the other, rather she shades the film from every angle (see the splicing of Willem Dafoe's suspicious scenes with his friendly scenes, representing Bateman's lack of connection to reality).
American Psycho is sheer brilliance. It is daring and not enough film are like this. A wildly funny what-is-happening black comedy on the surface, Psycho has so many layers and mysteries that it not only warrants repeat viewings, it deserves them.