American Psycho (2000) Movie and book review.

Rating: 6/10 (20 April 2016)

I honestly didn't know it was based on a book prior to the release of the film. Sometime in the fall of '99, I thought the brief trailer for it looked intriguing. Seeing it in the theatres however, I've been on the fence about it ever since. This is a middle-of-the- road movie for me. Adequate would be an accurate word to describe it. There isn't anything really extraordinary about it. There's nothing really to hold onto after it ends.
Now being familiar with Bret Easton Ellis' material, I consider the novel to be basically on par with his two previous works: Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction, respectively. Apathy runs rampant within his characters. He certainly has a wild imagination. He explicitly details some of the most graphic sex I have ever read. For some strange reason, the further the lead character slips away from reality, the funnier it gets. It somewhat makes it captivating on a certain level because of its absurdity, but it becomes more inconceivable as it goes on. The best way I can describe it is as a dark comedy. I have wondered that it could ultimately, in a roundabout way, be a book about mental illness, but it does not change how silly it can get. His writing is sufficient, but he kind of writes interesting trash. How he writes his subjects isn't bad by any stretch. I feel it helps his material; sort of like writing a trashy article, as ridiculous as it may be, it cannot be helped but to read further. However, I have come to the conclusion that it is one of the dumbest books I have ever read. It's easy for me to read a book, which a film is based on without the influence. I kind of picture Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. Ultimately though, just as the rest of the characters, I picture nondescript people; basically average looking; nothing remarkably charismatic about them, including the main character. Sort of imagining the casting of a Whit Stillman movie. To me, Bateman is someone basically blending into a background, but he's front and center in this story. His colleague Timothy Price who is his best friend seemingly, is quite arrogant; probably equally as Patrick Bateman if not more. At one point early on in the book, Bateman mentions that Price is the most interesting person he knows, which adds to how incredible this book is. The second chapter consists of the detailed description of Bateman's apartment and him getting ready for work. That's it. There is even a chapter that is strictly about the musical career of the band Genesis all through the eighties. I continue on because of how astounding it is; even reading it out of order doesn't hinder its overall effect.
To me, Bateman comes across as a trendy character. He wants to fit in and keep up with all of the latest fashion and gadgets. He even goes into this whole diatribe about making America great and supporting civil rights and equal rights; pretty much saying what an ideal democrat candidate would say, yet he's thinking about murdering animals and peoplewell, thinking about it at least. None of it is proved just as the movie. In the end, his lawyer doesn't believe what he confesses. So I just think that it's what he thinks about constantly. He is also quite an unreliable narrator. There is usually someone mistaken for someone else. Essentially everyone looks like everyone else in the Wall Street yuppie world. Later when the investigation occurs, it could be for some other matter. Who knows. Who cares.
So, my grade is a C+