An amusing satire about a psychotic yuppie

Rating: 8/10 (5 September 2008)

When I first watched this I wasn't sure what to expect as I recalled the fuss when the book was first published, thankfully the film wasn't too gory. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that it was more than just another serial killer film, as well as that it was a very funny satire about '80s Yuppies.
Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman, a self obsessed twenty seven year old who works on Wall Street. He and his colleagues are obsessed with having the best items and dining at the trendiest places. In an early scene Patrick and his colleagues compare business cards and he is mortified when one of the others has one which is more tasteful than his, even though they all look virtually identical. Strangely this seems to bother him far more than the fact that people routinely mistake him for other people. He uses this anonymity to invite out a fellow stock broker then murders him with an axe while calmly explaining how he thinks the band Genesis improved under Phil Collins influence. As the film progresses his psychosis deepens and he starts killing more and more people including a homeless man, a model and a prostitute he calls Christie.
It is never one hundred percent certain that he is in fact killing people or if he is just delusional, I used to believe the latter but on later viewings think how he was getting away with his crimes was part of the satire, I liked that there are hints at both possibilities.
Christian Bale's acting in this was superb, he seemed far more chilling than most movie serial killers in that while he is clearly insane he is also no different from those around him on the outside. I also thought Chloë Sevigny acted well as Patrick's secretary, possibly the only really normal person in the film.