AMERICAN PSYCHO
Year: 2000.
Country: USA.
Principal Cast: Christian Bale, Chloe Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Willem Dafoe and others.
Directed by: Mary Harron.
Runtime: 1 hr 41 min approx.
Killer looks. Evil never looked so damn good.
Mary Harron’s American Psycho caused quite an uproar when it was released. It was slammed by the censor board and consequently various segments of the movie had to be edited. Nevertheless, it went on to become a runaway hit.
Unlike many thrillers, American Psycho wastes no time in introducing the antagonist in question. Patrick Bateman is one of those everyday executives with everything from a high rise apartment to a successful job at Wall Street. Ultra-egoistic and competitive, Bateman’s thirst to stay on top transforms into a bloodlust of sorts, making him a psychotic killer.
It takes all but one monologue to know Bateman inside out. The thrills here are derived from action and eventual course, rather than identity. American Psycho isn’t about investigations; all the action is seen through the killer’s view and not some aftermath, through some arbit cop’s eyes.
Patrick Bateman represented a complete turnaround of sorts for Bale. The actor sinks into his character and makes the most of the scope offered. Bale’s Bateman is seen in a multitude of shades, all of them equally fascinating. Be it a suave businessman, or a ruthless psychopath, Bale essays it with ease. Reese Witherspoon as Evelyn, his supposed fiancé, Chloe Sevigny as Jean, his secretary and Willem Dafoe as Donald Kimball, a detective, do just enough.
It would be unfair to write a review about the movie without giving due credit to the environment it is based in. In what is an in-your-face depiction of an 80’s America, the film comprehensively captures everything from posh restaurants to the lowly nightclubs. It also adeptly portrays a cut-throat competitive profession. Perhaps one of the film’s best sequences is when the executives compete over something as trivial as who has the best business card. The sequence isn’t important, but it succeeds in doubling up as a summary of the film’s theme and tone.
Excellent screenplay is also a definite plus. With dialogue that sparkles with wit (“I’m into murders and executions, mostly” as opposed to mergers and acquisitions) and power, Harron makes sure that the movie isn’t lacking in this department. That she did have source material (the novel by Brett Easton Ellis) is a different story.
Despite being described best (by the movie) as illusory or simply not being there, Bale’s presence ranks the movie among the best serial killer fare to date. Powerful, and gut-wrenching, American Psycho is a to-be-watched film.
Personal Opinion – Up for Discussion (Heavy Spoilers!)
Bales’ character apart, the open ending is the most significant factor that makes the movie such a treat to watch. The end credits start to roll after a close-up of Bateman’s eyes. Prior to this he says that his punishment still eludes him and that the confession hasn’t meant a thing.
Now here's what viewers can interpret from the ending.
1. The whole sequence was a dream. It all happened in his head.
2. It's bloody (no pun intended) real.
The first interpretation has a lot of plot devices going in its favour. For example, how did Patrick get away with all those murders (the old woman, cops et al)? What happened to all the corpses in Paul Allen’s apartment? The easy way out: it never happened. After all, we ARE talking about a psycho here.
While the first viewpoint is pretty firmly rooted in logic, it is the second perspective that holds my interest despite being slightly outlandish. A few people opine that all the murders were real. The old woman in Allen’s apartment disposes of the bodies so that she can sell the place to prospective clients. This also explains her reaction when she meets Bateman. Logical. And the other murders? Here’s where it gets interesting. While the movie focuses predominantly on a single character, it is something about the cast that comes into play. To describe the phenomenon in one word: self-involvement. The characters are too preoccupied with themselves to notice anything else happening. Yep, every man for himself. Paul Allen mistakes Bateman for Marcus Halberstram. Again, Bateman is mistaken for Davies, by his lawyer (“Bateman’s such a dork…”). And the rampage… ditto. As I said, interesting. And outlandish.
Apparently, Hanson did state, in an interview, that everything was real. Some fans however, still find it hard to digest that fact.
2 comments:
A comprehensive review of an excellent film. A few things I'd like to point out :
The word "arbit" is probably an indianism and doesn't appear in a dictionary. Try to replace it with some other word to maintain the standard english tone of the rest of the review.
One thing I noticed while watching the film was the feminine touch of a female director. It was unmistakable to me, with her camera following Bale much as how a male director would fuss over his female muse. It might be an interesting, having not read the book, to see how much this director might have changed the character in her film adaptation. The good looks and metrosexual grooming of Patrick Bateman was probably already part of the book, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the director might have added her ideas into the script.
Welcome, oh unholy one!
That's some observation there. Well, that feminist angle never did strike me. Maybe it was overshadowed by the significant amounts of testosterone. :P
What you say is quite probable though, and it's to Harron's credit if she did improvise on Ellis' novel.
Note to self: Must watch more female directed movies. This might be some sort of a trend!
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