A solid picture with a star-making performance....

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2000)

I've been reading a lot about American Psycho for a few days now, and having just seen the movie, I am at a loss as to what all the fuss is about or why this movie seems so divisive.
The movie itself is a pretty solid picture. It isn't great, and far from the next Silence of the Lambs as some have suggested, but it does have its moments and on the whole is worth the time and money to see.
The main reason to see this picture is for the performance of Christian Bale. This is a star-making performance if I have ever seen one. Throughout the picture I was reminded of Tom Cruise, especially Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut. His performance is both funny and disturbing at the same time, a very difficult line to walk. Some of his scenes, where he is discussing his music while preparing to kill, is brilliant in the way Bale builds the insanity and detachment of his character. You can see it in his eyes, that this character knows no remorse and that killing to him is not so much a choice as a personality flaw, to put it mildly.
A lot has also been said of the satire this film has of the 80's yuppie lifestyle. That aspect of the film was one that didn't particularly resonate me. I thought it was a bit heavy-handed, but the 80s yuppie lifestyle served as a very effective backdrop for the better story of the
hollow shell of a man who kills because he feels he has to.
There are bad parts to this film. I thought some of the characters were unnecessary and some of the storyline muddled, but at the same time those weaknesses contributed to the haunting feel of the film, the world through a serial killer's eyes, where no human being is likeable or of value and the day to day lifestyle seems almost as insane as a killing spree. There were times when I wasn't sure what was happening, but I suspect that was true for the character on the screen as well, which is why it worked even when it seemed convoluted.
For all it's flaws, this is a good picture. And whatever you think of the film, everyone has to admit that they left the theater thinking, and that this film has been on their minds for days after. While for some that will be seen as a contemptuous thing, for me that is the mark of a good film. I gave it an 8.