Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

Rating: 3/10 (17 April 2000)

My god, what a mess. Started off with some interest, was kicky in parts, especially the send-up of '80's nouvelle cuisine, the main character's job that involved no observable work, and the analysis of Huey Lewis, Phil Collins, and Whitney Houston albums prior to murder and mayhem. It then spiraled into the ground, leaving no survivors. Imagine being forced to reread "Hannibal." Among it's MANY weaknesses:
1. Christian Bale's performance: Contrary to most reviews, Christian Bale gives a completely predictable, unskilled performance. Anthony Hopkins and Kathleen Turner have popularized the sangfroid of the urbane, sophisticated serial killer, but Bale doesn't even approach them. There's nothing new here. Instead of chilling imperturbability, we're given monotone and wood. Monotone and wood. Monotone and wood. Then, trying to shock us with contrast, his outbursts of violence look like they were choreographed by Chuck Jones of Warner Bros fame. Beep beep. Even his breakdown scene falls flat. We're left with all the subtlety of his earlier Speilberg role without the final mercy of an American bombing run.
2. Annoying voice-over: I'm more forgiving of this technique than most, but the criticism is well deserved here. It's a poor substitute for tight story and competent direction. The main character's narcissism, the Wall Street milieu, his shallow and acquisitive colleagues, and his taste for insipid music should suffice to establish his soulless hollowness; there's no need for verbal cue cards. I suspect it's just the director's attempt to cut through the tedium of the movie and try to legitimize the film by evoking the novel.
3. Reese Witherspoon: Knowing what she's capable of, I can only conclude that she was hobbled by a bad script and sophomoric direction. Just a one-dimensional rehash of Madeline Kahn from Young Frankenstein and Gloria Upson from Auntie Mame. Talk about poo-poo undies.
4. Running gags: How many times does the audience have to see the same jokes about business card fonts and the inability to get dinner reservations?
5. Dead-end plot devices: A private eye played by Willem Defoe and a case of mistaken identity that go nowhere. Was this bad editing or did the filmmaker forget herself. "Excuse me, I was looking for the set of 'Talented Mr Ripley'."
6. Direction and cinematography: Makes "Sliders" look pretty slick.
7. Derivative: There was NOTHING in this film that was not already done in "Silence of the Lambs," "Bright Lights, Big City," and "Serial Mom." In short, I've seen this film years ago at least three times, which corresponds to the number of IMDB stars I'd give it.