Superb adaptation of modern classic

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2013)

I've read "American Psycho" by Bret Easton Ellis three times, and consider it a modern classic. It's both a brilliant satire and a psychological thriller with David Lynchian ambiguous elements thrown in, and as such, it seemed destined to be butchered by Hollywood: satire and ambiguity don't sell, while the superficial elements that the book so hilariously portrays - gore and luxury - do.
Lucky for us, the adaptation was passed around by the big players, dropped a few times and finally scooped up by the semi-obscure Canadian director Mary Herron. Left with a relatively small budget, she decided to build her movie around Christian Bale, who - believe it or not - was also very much a struggling B- or C-lister in 1999.
In my opinion, it couldn't have worked out better. Free from the pressures of a big budget, Herron expertly translates the essence of the novel to the big screen without resorting to unwarranted commercial stylings. She allows the movie to define a genre of its own: "American Psycho" is equal parts black comedy, 80s homage, slasher movie, and thriller, brought to us by its very unreliable narrator, the infamous Patrick Bateman.
Which brings me to Christian Bale. I am by no means a member of the Christian Bale fan club, but his work here is fantastic and I cannot imagine another actor nailing Bateman this perfectly. No hyperbole needed: this is one of my 10 favorite movies of all time, with one of my 5 favorite lead actor performances of all time.