Good Film, Phenomenal Book

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2006)

First, I have to say that I really did enjoy the film very much. I also read the book AFTER seeing the film, which I think gives me a unique perspective as opposed to those who read the book, then saw the film as a disappointment.
With that having been said, I was amazed with the excruciating detail that the novel's Patrick Bateman went into when describing his life and routine. Bret Easton Ellis is a truly remarkable author, and the novel is really a masterpiece of 1980's satire. I honestly can't say enough good things about it. Every page was amazing to me, and I felt that a portrait of a madman had really been painted for us in a way that nobody has done before.
The film lacked a lot of this detail, but it was only noticeable after reading the book. I can see how someone who read the book first, then saw the film could have been disappointed, but seeing the film before the book really made me appreciate both much more than I may have otherwise. For someone who has no experience with either the film or the book, I would recommend the movie first, then followed up with the novel. The movie is very enjoyable and interesting on it's own, and the novel adds a tremendous dimension and back-story to the characters and their motivations.
Also, one of the criticisms that I read in a previous review had to do with the locations not being believable due to the limited budget of the production. However, as a lifelong resident of Manhattan, the sets and locations ring very true. Pat Bateman's apartment in the movie is a really accurate representation of what a multi-million dollar Manhattan apartment actually looks like. Money does not go very far in this town, and it actually states in the book that Timothy Price made approximately $190,000/year, so it can be presumed that Bateman earned a similar amount. A hefty sum for the time, but not quite billionaire status. The restaurants and offices are also quite realistic and believable, especially since I have actually been to most of the places that are mentioned in the book.
Finally, after the film and novel, I have to say that I actually found Pat Bateman someone who I could really relate to on some level, scary though that may sound. The obsession with material possessions; having everything in your life arranged perfectly; the drive to have the best (clothes, apartment, dinner reservations, women, etc), is something that still permeates the culture here in NYC to such a degree that I found many of his obsessions (compulsions?) and mannerisms extremely familiar. Disconcerting as it is, I can easily see where Brett Ellis' mind was when he fleshed out the Bateman character. From this point of view, it's almost easy to see how such behavior can mutate into insanity without even the blink of an eye. It's certainly made me look at my own life in a different light.