R-rated
Stars: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe
From the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, “American Psycho” tells the tale of Patrick Bateman (British actor Christian Bale), a Wall Street guru in the 1980’s, rich and unbelievably vain who brokers by day and is a serial killer by night.
Consumerism is his stock and trade, from the slew of personal toiletries he uses everyday to the impeccable Valentino suits. He’s surrounded by other young Wall Street mavens and most of them look and act exactly as he does. Slick and elf-important. Whether it’s debating who has the most appealing business card or who’s got reservations at the hottest place in town, these are all shallow idiots. Bateman just happens to be our focus at the moment.
This guy is a virtual zombie, all he’s capable of feeling is anger and disgust, nothing else. So his actions are commanded by only these two emotions. That makes for a fairly despicable character. He lives in a ritzy apartment that is as sterile and sparce as he. He likes to blather studiously about pop music when he gets ready to kill someone or beat up on some hookers who he’s previously demeaned. None of it means anything. So, untimately we care nothing about him or his story.
Also stars Willem Dafoe (as a detective), Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis.
Lotta says: “American Psycho” is a very ugly bore.