MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Dark Comedy Horror/Stars: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage, Chloë Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe, Cara Seymour, Guinevere Turner, Stephen Bogaert, Reg E. Cathey, Krista Sutton, Catherine Black, Patricia Gage, Anthony Lemke/Runtime: 102 minutes
It might come as a shock to some of you out there to learn this, but a protagonist in a slice of cinema doesn’t always have to be what polite and upstanding society might consider to be a “good person” in order to be someone who can be both compelling to say nothing of worth following for a couple of hours of our lives give or take. Indeed from Uncut Gems which gave us a protagonist who was a reckless and unapologetic gambling addict, The Wolf of Wall Street which presented us with a debauchery-drenched look at a real-life example of why we should think about setting a cap salary limit for Wall Street execs like you would see in the NBA, Taxi Driver which has made me thankful for jobs that do background checks to say nothing of not having to live in 1970s New York City, The Godfather which shows the moral degradation that organized crime can have on an otherwise upstanding individual, or even 2014’s Nightcrawler which showed me why Jake Gyllenhaal is a great actor and why I hate paparazzi-types in equal measure I think it can most assuredly be said that cinema has given us quite a few examples of this concept in action. Among the films that are part of this distinct group however, there is one that I had the opportunity to rewatch here recently that I found has decided to take up residence in my brain until I had the chance to write about for all of you at some point this month. That being the 2000 slice of cinema, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, American Psycho. A film that not only proved to be the cinematic proof that other creative minds in the land of movie magic perhaps needed in order to believe that its lead, one Christian Bale, could in fact play a famous comic book character whose name may or may not sound like Truce Payne, but which also has been an undeniably polarizing cinematic outing since it first came out due to the visceral content contained therein, the extremely high degree of moral ambiguity on display, and the more than slightly misogynistic attitude presented by quite a few of the characters despite the film being a favorite among both meme creators as well as fans of the music of such people as Huey Lewis and Phil Collins respectively. Yet even though this slice of cinema is one that most assuredly is not for everyone by any stretch of the imagination, I must admit that I do find it a fairly engaging sit all the same. To be sure, it is most certainly not a flawless film, but with the aid of undeniably well-done work both behind and in front of the camera, American Psycho is one film that, should you be able to synch up to its rather unique wavelength, prove to be one blend of dark comedy and horror you won’t soon forget.
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the 1991 book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho takes us back to that iconic time and place that is late 1980s New York City. It is here where we meet our main character/quasi-sorta guide through this world (note I didn’t exactly call him our hero) in the shape and form of a 27-year-old guy by the name of Patrick Bateman. A guy who, among other things worth knowing about him, is a member of that rather distinctly 80s community known as yuppie investment bankers that has, along with a fair number of his equally as youthful colleagues, achieved more than a fair degree of financial success in that particular arena in his life. Unlike some individuals who might be a bit humbler and/or charitable with the gains that they have managed to acquire for themselves however, we see that Bateman isn’t entirely about that way of doing things. Instead, he has decided to engage in a lifestyle made up of equal parts vanity, materialism, conceitedness, egotistical to the hilt, more than a fair amount of booze and narcotics, an extreme degree of superficiality, and just straight up toxic levels of one-upmanship. Yet, and as if all of the aforementioned adjectives weren’t already enough to make this guy Sleazy Monthly’s Man of the Year Cover Model, it isn’t long into this movie that we see that there is perhaps one other thing about Bateman which I think is worth perhaps being just a teeny tiny bit concerned about. That being that Mr. Bateman also happens to a bloodthirsty, ruthless, menacing, and straight up terrifying serial killer that has no rhyme or reason to the people he is willing to kill. Thus, what we are being treated to here is a look at a rather distinct human being that seems to be engaged in a more than slightly unusual form of mortal combat (no not the video game) between the pair of different individuals that make up who he is at his rotten core. The first being someone who seems to be less in the vein of a human being like you or I and instead seems more likely to be a cockroach wearing a human suit a’la the first Men in Black who only feels envy in terms of wanting the things that the other bugs disguised in human suits possess and a severe disdain for both those who don’t match up to what he wants from others and himself if something about him is not the best of the best. The second being a merciless butcher who is willing to slaughter indiscriminately, has no qualms about who he kills, and who is able to change up how he kills seemingly on a whim. As for how this particular inner conflict resolves itself to say nothing of the impact that it has on both Mr. Bateman and the people who make up his particular corner of the known universe that is something I will choose to let you uncover for yourself….
Now right off, it should be said that the work done by the assorted units operating behind the camera might not be flawless in every way imaginable, but they nevertheless still manage to be more than solid in terms of what they bring to this rather distinct cinematic table. Without question, this starts with the efforts of Mary Harron (2011’s The Moth Diaries and Charlie Says from 2018) in the director’s chair and this is, in the opinion of this writer, perhaps her defining moment as a helmer. Indeed not only does Harron do a fantastic job of really ensuring that the dark comedy and more than slightly visceral violence are kept fairly well balanced without one negating the other entirely, but she is also able to really make the world of the film (despite the extreme bursts of violence) feel less like we are watching a work of fiction and more like we are genuinely seeing and experiencing 1980s New York City as it actually was to say nothing of the fact that she proves to be extremely skilled in making sure that even when the film goes into elements that might be a tad bit controversial we never once feel like the film is glorifying those elements, but rather simply trying to make the story as compelling and true to the source material as possible. Along with the undeniably skilled work engaged in here by Harron, this slice of cinema also contains a fairly well-written screenplay as penned by both Harron and Guinevere Turner (The Notorious Bettie Page from 2005). Indeed not only does this dynamic writing duo successfully adapt the source material in a way that, despite being condensed and slightly toned down, still feels true to the material, but it also manages to successfully maintain a brilliantly satirical tone to the mean spirited and grisly proceedings to say nothing of solidly, albeit not flawlessly, construct both Patrick Bateman to say nothing of the supporting cast of characters around him. Alongside the well-done work done in both of the aforementioned sections, this slice of cinema is the blessed recipient of a top-flight effort from Andrzej Sekuła (Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction among others) on this film’s cinematography. Indeed not only does Sekula’s utilization of widescreen frameworks and strikingly on-point imagery aid immensely in conjuring up as visually riveting and mesmerizing of a viewing experience as possible, but it also does an incredibly unnerving yet effective job of equalizing the movie’s dark thematic concepts with a perverse stylishness that makes certain moments even more potent than they already are. Last, but by no stretch of the imagination least, I feel like this section would be woefully incomplete if I didn’t take the time to focus on the work done here by composer John Cale on this slice of cinema’s musical accompaniment. Indeed not only does Cale’s score do a fantastic job of reinforcing the story at the heart of the film, but it also succeeds in really conjuring up a wonderfully ominous and uneasy atmosphere as well. Suffice it to say that when you also throw into this one-of-a-kind cinematic brew an incredible soundtrack of timeless gems from the decade that the story is taking place to say nothing of fairly well-done editing work from Andrew Marcus and top-notch work from the costume and set design department respectively it’s clear that this slice of cinema is definitely not for everyone, but for those willing to give it a try I promise that the work done behind the camera most assuredly does its part and then some to make that decision one worth making.
Alongside the undeniably engaging work done by the departments operating behind the camera, this slice of cinema is also aided immensely courtesy of the equally as electrifying work done in front of the camera by an extremely well-chosen cast of talent who all shine in their respective roles even if a fair majority of them aren’t given nearly as much in terms of material to work with as others amongst the group. Far and away, this starts with the truly incredible lead performance given by Christian Bale and I can definitely without question say that this is easily one of the 7 best performances he has ever given audiences to date. Indeed as Patrick Bateman, we see that Bale does an outstanding job at giving us a spot-on, if not more than slightly toned down for obvious reasons, interpretation of the character that feels like it was just lifted straight from the source material and brought to life before our very eyes. Not just in terms of his extremely superficial, materialistic, and quite misogynistic yet oddly charming in a more than slightly perverse way public persona or even in his psychopathic tendencies which, when they burst forth at key points in this story, can be genuinely chilling to see unfold, but also in how he is able to balance the two rather effectively without ever once either going too far in either direction. Suffice it to say that he might not be a likable protagonist by any stretch, but in Bale’s more than capable hands he is also nothing short of gripping of beginning to end. Alongside the phenomenal work done by Bale, this slice of cinema also provides audiences with a wonderfully odd yet no less delightful turn from the always dependable screen icon Willem Dafoe as private investigator Donald Kimball. Indeed Dafoe, who I have loved since 1985’s To Live and Die in L.A., might only have 30 minutes of screentime tops here, but even so he does a fantastic job at giving us someone who is able to keep us, and Bateman, consistently unnerved and on the edge of our seats respectively. Lastly, I definitely feel like this section would be woefully lacking if I didn’t talk about the work done here by the noteworthy (or notorious dependent on perspective) talent that is Jared Leto in the pivotal role of Paul Allen. Yes, there’s not a lot I can say about this character for fear of spoilers, but what I can say is that Leto does a wonderful job of, in about 20 minutes of screentime, giving us a character that is both smarmy and charismatic while also providing audiences with one of the most iconic moments in the movie as well. Suffice it to say that when you also throw into the mix terrific efforts from such talents as Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Bill Sage, Josh Lucas (Ford v. Ferrari, A Beautiful Mind, and 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer), Cara Seymour (2002’s Gangs of New York), a perfectly cast Justin Theroux (2006’s cinematic take on Miami Vice, and 2001’s Mulholland Drive), Chloe Sevigny (2007’s Zodiac), and even an brief yet enjoyable performance from iconic character actor Reg E. Cathey among others it’s clear that they might not all have the same amount of material to work with, but even so every person in this cast manages to be both spot-on with their respective character whilst also looking like they are having the time of their life working on this particular cinematic outing to the benefit of both the audience and the film overall in equal measure.
All in all and at the end of the day is American Psycho “00” a perfect slice of cinema in every way imaginable to say nothing of one that I have no doubt in my mind is going to be your family’s new favorite go-to movie for family movie night? Honestly no though if that’s the case then I think I will be definitely doing the kids in my neighborhood a favor and telling them out of an abundance of care and caution to do whatever they can to avoid your house for at least the next 5 years on Halloween. All sarcasm aside, is this also by the same logic the worst slice of cinema made by anyone who worked either in front of or behind the camera? Honestly, I don’t think I can say that either. Not just because this is by no means a poorly made or acted film, but because there are definitely some films on the people who made this film’s individual resumes that I would definitely say qualify for that dubious “honor” more so than this one. To be sure, this is still a slice of cinema that I can most assuredly say is not one that is going to be for every single one of you out there in large part due to either the behaviors displayed by the main character and others or because of the more than slightly visceral content on full display. Should you be able to catch the wave that this particular slice of cinema is riding on however and ride it all the way to the end, I promise you will not only discover that this slice of cinema is not glorifying any of the violent acts or other actions depicted as you might fear, but that it is also a fairly well-made movie. Indeed the work at the helm is commendably solid, the script does a fantastic job of adapting the source material while also condensing it and even making it a bit less visceral than is on the written page, the cinematography is stunning, the costume and set designs are spot-on, the soundtrack an absolute delight for fans of 80s music, and the performances pretty much across the board by the cast are all genuinely engaging no matter how much or how little screentime and/or narrative material they are given in the grand scheme of things. Suffice it to say then that it might be equal parts darkly comedic and disturbingly violent, but American Psycho is still one slice of cinema that is worth checking out should you find yourself up for the challenge of doing so. Make of that what thou will dear reader and remember: if a guy on Wall Street asks you if you like Huey Lewis or Phil Collins always say yes! On a scale of 1-5 I give American Psycho “00” a solid 4 out of 5.
