ridiculous slasher movie for some wanna-be-intellectuals

Rating: 1/10 (9 December 2001)

*Contains Spoilers*
While watching this movie I had the feeling that someone wanted to make a basically ordinary slasher movie, but ended up doing an ordinary slasher movie trying to masquerade as some kind of intelligent movie, so people watching the movie can say what an intelligent movie they have watched lately. But the movie is not intelligent. I know this movie is based on a book, but since I haven't read it I can only talk about the movie itself. First of all, the dimwittedness of the movie is betrayed by the character called "Luis". The idea may be ok that he admits to be in love with the other man and always kept it a secret up to now, since this shows that the emotions the people show are fake. But this all is spoiled by adding the usual brainless cliches attached to same-gender attracted men to the character: his effeminate behavior etc. From the first moment you see him, you know that if the movie is as bad as you think it is, he will be revealed to be same-gender attracted. And the scene where he reveals his love is so ridiculous! Sure, if somebody puts his hands around my neck indoors in black leather gloves, the first thing that comes to my mind is that he loves me! There where one or two more scenes that betrayed the usual odd uneasiness of this kind of movies with same-gender attraction. The final scenes in the flat, and the killing of Christie are just the usual slasher-movie scenes. But, the idea that when he throws the chainsaw at her from the top of the stairs while she is at the lowest level and *actually* hits her while running is so dumb I couldn't help laughing! I mean, if this was just an ordinary slasher flick it would be ok, maybe even big fun, but *this* movie wants to pretend to be intellectual? Please! In his final speech Paul simply says nothing, but in a very complex way.
Oh yes, and his name: Bateman. Hmm, does this ring a bell? Norman Bates? Boy, how original. But I liked the characters of Christie and Jean, and the actresses portraying them. I also liked the actress that had the line "Don't come back" at the end of the movie. But what I really didn't like was that a song by the Mediaeval Baebes is wasted in a trashy movie like this! Sure, Bale has a hot body, but that doesn't save the movie. So, don't waste your time.