cinematic brilliance

Rating: Null/10 (13 March 2001)

I have had quite a movie weekend, with Chocolat on Friday, American Psycho on Saturday, and Breakfast at Tiffany's on Sunday. I know, I should get a life (I did get to the pub on Monday). But, back to the movie at hand. This was the film that most intrigued me out of that trio above. It was certainly the most gory (not much competition!) but it was both profoundly disturbing, incredibly funny, and wonderfully brought to life. I've not read the novel, but if anything were to convince me to give it a go, it was this film. Basically what so intrigued me about the film was the way it worked on so many different levels - thriller, magic realist, gothic, satire...It was really about (I would venture) our complete over investment in surface, to the point where small details seem meaningful and we entirely loose sight of the bigger picture (see especially the business card scenes, but also the repetition of masks, nouvelle cuisine presentation of food, minimalist furnishings etc). Anyway, a big hurrah to the entire cast, especially Willem Defoe as the spooky inspector (real, or a figment of Bateman's imagination?) and Christian Bale. The scene where he peels his face mask of is a study in conveying an entire character through minimal gestures. He should at least have got an Oscar nomination for this role.