Hilarious

Rating: 9/10 (7 June 2007)

I've never read the book, but I know a lot of people who did, and they tend to not like the movie. Now, I always think movies based on books should be judged as separate entities. It's adapted by a screenwriter and interpreted by a director, and they may make choices that the author didn't intend. This doesn't instantly make one or the other better or worse, they're just different. That being said, it seemed like the reason a lot of the fans of the book were disappointed was because Mary Harron wasn't interested in depicting scenes of extreme gore. This isn't a Fulci film and it isn't Hostel, it's brilliant social commentary and comedy. Of course this is the most pitch black sort of humour, but it cracks me up. Most of the humour comes from this central point: Patrick Bateman is a psychopath, a completely soulless person incapable of thinking of anyone but himself, and in the booming 80s Wall Street world, he fit in perfectly. It's been noted that Bale's performance even caused some viewers to like Bateman. But how couldn't they. Look at all of his "friends" and "lovers." They're able to feel empathy, they choose to live this way. They're the monsters. Bateman can't help but be like them. So when Bateman raises an axe to Paul Allen (played by the equally despicable Jared Leto) you can't help but share in his glee. The yucks don't stop. The business card one-upping (uh, I think they're all the same), Bateman's call for a return to morals at some ridiculous restaurant, the girl who confuses "mergers and acquisitions" for "murders and executions." In particular Bateman's lengthy monologues about his awful taste in music (early Huey Lewis was too "black sounding," Genesis really came into their own once Phil Collins took the reigns.) These tend to precede his violent acts, and I think they're the crux of the film. While he has a lot of knowledge and has clearly put a lot of thought into his opinions, the music he loves and his appreciation for it is just like him, soulless. A perfect surface wrapped around a gaping void. Anyways, I could go on, but I have to return some videotapes.