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American Psycho

American Psycho

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Read the book, skip the movie
Review: I loved the book American Psycho, and found it hilariously real, so I couldn't help but be disappointed in the movie. What's wrong with this movie? Well, a lot. This movie could have been longer, and I felt should have been, to delve more into Patrick Bateman's personality. As it happens, the murdering/breaking down sequence felt like it came too quickly, and I didn't really feel like things had built up to that enough. Christian Bale is the perfect Patrick Bateman, and he played the role with gusto, but I found the murder sequences comical instead of disturbing. (Of course, maybe that was the point.) The low point for me came when he was chasing the prostitute around with a chainsaw in the nude. That was just going too far, if you ask me--I liked the way it was handled in the book much better, although I can see why they changed it. This movie was bland to me, and I felt could have been much better. There were, of course, things that I did like--the way the music reviews were interspersed, and the 80s music made things entertaining, but the movie I felt was overall missing something. Maybe I would have liked it better if I hadn't read the book first. I guess there is just no way a movie can compare to Bret Easton Ellis' narrative. I recommend this if you want a good laugh, but don't expect this movie to have a profound effect on you. As for me, I don't plan on ever watching it again. I'll just re-read the book.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I hated this movie!
Review: I hated it a lot. No plot whatsoever, ending was horrible, whoever produced this is obviously not ready for the big time, i thought christian bale was allright in it, but flat story, and no basis of understanding

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: WAS I SUPPOSED TO BE LAUGHING?
Review: This movie was so horrible, that I actually laughed at some of the murder scenes. It was boring, confusing, and as far as I am concerned, one of the victims was so stupid that she actually deserved what she got. She sees this guy once, realizes he is nuts, and agrees to see him again. Our main character is incredibly annoying, and that is pretty much why I was laughing, along with everyone in the theatre. Don't waste your money. If you want to see a good murder movie, don't see this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ¿Psychotic Man¿s Burden¿
Review: American Psycho: rated R, 1 hour and 42 minutes

To put it in colloquial terms, Christian Bale 'rocks!' In actuality, a casual and modest Brit, for American Psycho, Bale transforms absolutely into his worst nightmare: a psychotic, American serial killer with a touch of pathetic nerdiness. He, along with his co-workers in mergers and executions...(ehem)...acquisitions (Bateman makes the same mistake in the movie), as well as society for that matter, are ridiculously obsessed with pop culture materialism. Brand named clothing, professional-looking business cards, modern apartment buildings, and lots and lots of money are just a few of the things at the top of Patrick Bateman's priority list. Bateman is a seemingly normal business executive who treats his secretary with friendly dignity, shmoozes with his colleagues, and leads a healthy personal life. However, he hides a solitary dark secret that no one knows (or believes, even after being told). Patrick Bateman has a severe, uncontrollable lust for blood. As Bateman attempts to survive under the everyday pressures of life, he is further antagonized by his own primal urges. What begins as an occasional nightly killing transpires into a rampage of wild murders, regardless of the hour of day. Bateman descends deeper and deeper into his nightmare until he reaches a point where there is no returning to reality. He has gone over the limit. He no longer has any knowledge of who he is. Patrick Bateman is lost forever. When Christian Bale steps into the role of Patrick Bateman, sparks fly. His performance is so powerful, that it will undoubtedly grip its audience (whether they like the film on the whole or not). His character is unique and exotic to the viewer; nevertheless to the movie's various characters, he appears to be ridiculously ordinary and harmless. The audience is taken into the mindset of this madman struggling to lead a normal life, and they are scared stiff of him, at the same time as being strangely endeared towards him (like The Talented Mr. Ripley, only less dramatically). We look at Bateman as such an exaggerated caricature of modern materialistic society that he becomes dreadfully funny. The movie, with its milder gore than the original novel by Bret Easton Ellis, is doused with some good humor and clever subtexts, most notably, the materialism already described. The brilliance of American Psycho lies in its ability to hold the viewer captive while dragging him into the lifestyle of its main character, being capable of squeezing laughter out of him, as well as being able to scare him to death. Much of this credit is owed to director Mary Harron for her skillful interpretation of the film and beautiful (if that is the right word for it) shooting of the film. In the end, American Psycho is a colorful piece of modern-day, avant-garde, in many ways disgusting artistry that just so happens to involve a perverse murderer. Though it is highly controversial, and a large percentage of people will not enjoy this film, I found it to be interesting and entertaining.

American Psycho, directed by Mary Harron, also starring Reese Witherspoon and Chloe Sevigny hit home with its breakthrough lead actor and its particularly compelling plot, A. By Ari Weiss

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: American psycho
Review: The film was a clever and modern time thriller. I found Christian Bales performance excellent in play Patrick Bateman and Jared Leto was good also. I film made you walk away still thinking about it and that is when you know that the truly good or not.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not good
Review: I am afraid, I was expecting a lot more from this movie. A talented cast, but how could anyone possbily relate to any of the characters, under any circumstances, ever!

Not a very polished piece of work, very long winded, and I am sorry to say, one of my worst experiences in a cinema ever.

Promised a lot, delivered nothing

Read book, but please avoid the film

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Best in a college atmospere
Review: There's nothing like a college audience.

The people in the Washington State University auditorium were almost as much fun to watch as the movie during the sneak preview of "American Psycho."

There were whistles and whoops before the lights even went down, especially during the commercial for Arrid deoderant. Male groans rang out every time lead actor Christian Bale stripped down to almost the bare essentials. Horrified gasps peppered the lead character's numerous acts of violence. And laughter littered the movie; sometimes nervously, sometimes inappropriately.

In case you've been in a coma, "American Psycho" is the film version of the gruesome, highly contoversial 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, starring Bale and Oscar nominee Chloe Sevigny ("Boys Don't Cry"), and directed by indie filmster Mary Harron ("I Shot Andy Warhol").

It is also the latest in a long stream of "American" themed movies. Think "Buffalo." Think "President." Think "History X." Think "Pie." Think "Beauty."

And now, think "Psycho."

It is the story of Patrick Bateman (Bale), a corporate yuppie in the 1980s who spends his days nervously comparing business cards with associates and obsessing over the evening's reservations.

Life is shallow, with Bateman trying to maintain an aura of hipness amidst a wash of similarly-minded people, including his fiancee (played by Reese Witherspoon of "Pleasantville" and "Cruel Intentions"). He dines at the best places, does the best drugs and wears the best suits.

And at night, he really makes a killing.

Bateman indulges in a little twisted murder-and-mayhem, axing a co-worker he's envious of, knifing a homeless guy on the street, and almost using a nail gun to do in his adoring secretary (Sevigny).

Ellis' book is a truly violent piece which focuses so much on the violence of Bateman's killing sprees, the author's penchant for name-dropping (which translates nicely in the movie with a scene of Bateman discussing his morning facial cream routine) that the point of the satire is nearly lost: Without the fickle trends of society, Bateman is an empty shell. Save his greed and bloodlust, he is a robot.

Harron tones down the violence to a lesser degree - although it is no less gruesome; the scene where Bateman, nude and bloody, chases a hooker with a chainsaw is an edge-of-the-seater - and emphasizes the story's taking place in the "Me Decade" with appropriate song and fashion that add to one's enjoyment of the film.

Despite a lame "Is Patrick really nutso?" twist that hurts the movie, the point is not lost here, and Harron has a solid sophomore hit on her hands.

Bale shines as Bateman, making us thank God the powers that be did not go with Leonardo DiCaprio as they at one point hoped to. Whether he's stiff, menacing, dryly sarcastic, tortured or over the edge psychotic, Bale is mesmerizing. If there's any justice in the world, Patrick Bateman will be a career maker.

Too bad the supporting actors don't fare as well. With the exception of Matt Ross, who steals his scenes as a homosexual co-worker of Bateman's in a memorable bathroom confrontation, all other actors are window dressing. Witherspoon's role is written so blandly anybody could have played it, while Sevigny is incredible annoying as her characer moons over Patrick. Willem Dafoe is amiable enough as a detective investigating one of Bateman's crimes, but ... this is Bale's movie.

It's a wild ride that gets a little hazy in parts, but is certainly enjoyable in most places.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: What makes this movie especially interesting is that it is narrated in the first person (persona?). This is the experience of psychosis described from the inside.

Patrick Bateman would have us believe that he is only a well moisturized mask with nothing left under the mask. But he is lying because he feels regret, remorse and, on occassion, demonstrates mercy. He knows what he is becoming and he hates what that is. He knows that his "mask of sanity is slipping", that there is only a thin thread keeping him "in touch with humanity". His story is of a personality disintegrating into psychosis and psychological death. But he hasn't yet reached the point of no return. He can still turn back. But will he?...



Rating: 2 stars
Summary: American Psycho in the UK
Review: I've just got back from seeing this at the cinema, and was mesmorised from start to finish. The couple that I went to see it with work in London, in finance... They inform me that Bateman and his friends exist, and can be seen every day, trying to beat each other to the best reservations in the best restaurants in town. The scene at the board room table where the friends are trying to out-do each other with the best business cards is hilarious and shows them for the shallow, bored individuals that they are. These people have reached the top, they have the best of everything and the money to buy even more, with this fact in mind they compete on the minutist of scales against each other. See past the violence and you have a very funny thought provoking film - a must watch movie - and a must buy on DVD when it is released.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: excellent!
Review: wow, christian bale was just perfect for the role as patrick bateman. thank god leo turned it down. i'm awaiting the dvd release, i can't wait. i read the book too and loved that, this is not a strickley guy film i'm female and i loved it, and it was beautifully shot and with tact. some bits were violent but as with 'a clock work orange' the music features the violent scenes and makes the gore more sureal and toned down. the humour and the violence compliment each other with grace...EXCELLENT


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