Given the time of year, and the certain holiday coming one week from tonight, I have decided to review a few of my personal favorite scary movies in the spirit of Halloween. First up, we have the 2000 psychological thriller that first showed us the true potential of Christian Bale, American Psycho.
Set in the business world of the 1980's, American Psycho is the story of wealthy investment banker Patrick Bateman. He is brutally honest about in his conversations, and open about himself at every turn, except for the fact he is secretly a blood thirsty serial killer. When he feels as though the rug is being pulled out from underneath him, will Patrick collapse?
What sets this film apart from the cliche slasher flick is that it does not present itself as a horror movie outright. Though it is intensely grim in some areas, it is not afraid to have fun when it feels appropriate. If you've ever seen the Oliver Stone film Wall Street, you'll recognize similar themes in this film. It doesn't treat the fact that the main character is a part time serial killer with kid gloves, yet it doesn't cram the notion down your throat. It has a casual manner of going about it. It has an easy going way about it, however, it has some of the most intense and disturbing scenes I have ever witnessed. It may be one of the few successful mergers of horror and comedy.
The film went through several candidates for the lead role of Patrick Bateman. At one point, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Edward Norton were attached to play the part. Three of them are exceptional actors, don't get me wrong. But when looks at Christian Bale's exceptional performance, its hard to imagine someone else doing it. Bale showcases a casual demeanor, which in the blink of an eye, he is able to transform into a raw intensity. He is the atypical 80's business mogul, but never feels cliched. He is pure energy in the scenes that call for it, yet can simmer down as though nothing has happened in the next moment.
Reese Witherspoon doesn't get much screen-time as Bateman's fiancé, and thankfully so. She feels flat and two dimensional as though she is nothing more than tokenism. Her delivery is wooden and stereotypical.
Andrew's Standout for this movie would have to be the phenomenal Willem Dafoe. His performance as the detective in the case of one of Bateman's victim is about equally as brief as Witherspoon's. But unlike Reese, Willem is able to make it work to his advantage. You never quite know exactly what he knows. There are spots where you think that he knows Patrick's secret, there are others where you think he is oblivious, and there are even some when is he a conundrum that you just can't read. This may have been an aesthetic decision by the director, but Dafoe is able to do so much with so little.
This movie should be in your Halloween repertoire. It is a modern classic worthy of rotation and repeated viewings on a yearly basis. Just be sure to return your videotapes! (inside joke)
B+
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