Dark and viciously satirical

Rating: Null/10 (19 July 2007)

Patrick Bateman is 27 years old. He's rich, he works on Wall Street, and he's a psycho who likes to kill people. He isn't a person, or so he tells us. He can't feel any emotions, except for disgust and greed.
There are several great scenes in the film. In one of them, Bateman argues that Phil Collins' "In Too Deep" is the most moving pop song of the 80's. He argues that Genesis pre-1980 were too artsy, and that Phil Collins' commercial attitude and solo career saved Genesis, made them a great band. He does this all while preparing two prostitutes for sex and with a single expression on his face. Just before he gets to 'work' he turns on "Ssubio", calling it a great, great song. Of course, this is all brilliant satire on 80's society. Patrick Bateman is boring and conformist, like everything else in that 'wonderful' decade, such a wild contrast to the revolutionary society of the 70's and 90's. It is little nuances like this that give me such a huge appreciation for the screenplay and. An understanding of 80's pop culture will greatly enhance your viewing experience because as relevant as this is to our world today, it is a period piece and though it is a vicious attack on human banality and our conformist ways, it uses the prime example of this (the 80's) as its way of getting its point across.
Where else do you see a man hacking another to pieces set to the tune of Huey Lewis' "Hip to Be Square"? That scene might just have the single greatest song choice I've seen in a film. Perfectly describing the banality of yuppie life in the 1980's and serving as the soundtrack for a vicious act of rather unnecessary violence, the scene is grotesque and almost scary, but still utterly brilliant and viciously funny. Another standout scene is near the end as Bateman blurts out a confession of his crimes to his lawyer through a phone message.
In many ways it is the musical choices made by Mary Harron that accentuate the film's satire. Besides Bale's performance and the gorgeous photography, it is the soundtrack, packed with bland, soulless, empty pop music that pushes this film over the top. Some detractors call the film too violent, too over-the-top, too vile and disgusting. This is not true. Every single moment of the film is warranted. It is a vicious satire, never intended to be subtle.
4.5/5