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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video:
The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the 'me' culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, 'We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation.' Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker
Amazon.com:
The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the 'me' culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, 'We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation.' Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Not for everyone, but...
Because I enjoy Christian Bale's work very much, I was anxious to see this film. It is admittedly violent and edgy, but if you focus on the nuances that make up an actor's craft, you will see this young man is extraordinarily talented. He worked very hard to get this role and is ideally cast in the film. I can also recommend 3:10 to Yuma if you can concentrate on his underplayed performance and ignore Russell Crowe and his gang. Bale was the believable character.
American Psycho is NOT for ... Read More
Rating:  - Horrible Horrible Movie
This movie was terrible. Barely a plot, horrible acting. I don't know what all the humdrum was about. I hated it.
Rating: - My Review of American Psycho
I went into purchasing this film, feeling a tad uneasy of what I would be viewing. I didn't know whether I'd be seeing a horror movie or a satire and a comedy.
To my utter delight. It was a mixture of all three listed items. It was a horror in all of its fantasmic images, but it was also satirical. I laughed at several parts of the movie and cringed when I knew another death was coming! If you see it, you'll know what I mean. And of course the film is explicit, graphic in its ... Read More
Rating: - Rubbish
Very simplistic and cliche "ooooh, he's so evil" screenplay, and Bale gives yet another stiff performance, with the same frown and pursed lips as in every other film he's done. Maybe he should do Metal Gear Solid; The Movie with that tough-guy frown.
Rating: - IF YOU SEE PATRICK BATEMAN -- RUN LIKE HELL!!!!!
This movie shows violence toward women, men and the narrow escape of a kitten from an ATM machine.
Ahhhhhhh! What can I say? Christian Bale is an incredible actor and his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" is unforgettable. Bale's Patrick Bateman is drop-dead gorgeous, cut, successful, swaggering, demented, obsessed and, of course, p-s-y-c-h-o. And comedic in a very, very dark way. His livingroom scene with Jared Leto (his nemesis in the movie) is so disturbing ... Read More
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