| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
|
| Story: |
A+ |
|
|
| Acting: |
A+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
A |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A |
|
|
A Must-See for All Viewers
by Tzar (movies profile)
Apr 7, 2008
3
of
3 people found this review helpful
This movie is incredible in all regards. It involves the American Dream and how it has been corrupted. It shows the dark side of the yuppie culture of the 80s that no one could have ever anticipated. We see how pathetic, meaningless, and insane wealth and image can turn our lives. We get all of this in the form of Patrick Bateman, the successful Wall Street executive with chiseled abs and a model girlfriend. He lives in a society where the costliness of suits, the beauty of business cards, the quality of cocaine, and the number of women banged matter more than character and personality. In this culture, one gets friends by having the latest Huey Lewis and the News CD, the most posh designer suits, and the most enviable haircut. The fact that Patrick Bateman's violent crimes against humanity go unnoticed by his peers shows just how our MTV culture has desensitized us to the real issues of our world, such as war, poverty, disease, social injustice, etc. If you were happy enough living with your fellow Wall Street buddies, would you really care about the Africans with AIDS?
In this movie, Patrick commits the most horrendous of crimes. He kills homeless men, prostitutes, a cat, and even an old woman. He revels in the amount of blood that he lets flow. The sex in this movie is relatively intense and "sadistic." After all, women are like designer suits for Patrick: things that you can dispose of as you please. However, the blood and sex in this movie are nowhere as disturbing or graphic as they are in the original novel.
Many people argue about whether those around Patrick don't know what he does simply because it's "all in his head" or whether the yuppie culture simply could care less about violent crime (meaning that Patrick actually commits the portrayed crimes). I feel that the answer is both. The shallowness of our modern society desensitizes us to our real problems and consequently distorts our perception of reality. This new fake reality is one of greed, lust, jealousy, frustration, and endless longing.
The beauty of this movie lies in how much it still applies to modern society. Though we don't live in the 80s, we still have many of the same problems of the 80s, including AIDS, drugs, warfare, and poverty. We still live in a MTV culture that has evolved into one of reality television. Many of us eagerly watch shows like "The Simple Life." Knowing full well of the growing gap between rich and poor, so many people still envy the lazy lifestyle of frauds like Britney Spears. An interview with Paris Hilton can beat out an interview about health care on Larry King. Is that how shallow our society is? Frankly, YES. Many people still have little knowledge of the upcoming presidential election. Obviously, though, some Hollywood actor's new haircut matters so much, right? I may be ranting, but this is the reality of modern America. If you think that America has changed for the better, you are wrong.
Anyway, this is a brilliant movie, especially with regards to acting. As Patrick Bateman, Christian Bale pulled off a sensational yet realistic performance that was so enthralling and eye-pleasing that he should have won an Oscar for his actor. It is very difficult to give a performance that requires the right balance between being suave and being sinister. The other actors are all perfect. Reece Witherspoon plays Bale's snotty and lousy girlfriend and does superbly well.
People label this movie as horror. It should be considered a black comedy. One cannot but help laughing during the business card, Paul Allen, and stray cat scenes, all of which are brilliantly crafted.
If you like this movie, I recommend the original novel and any other Christian Bale movies (e.g. Empire of the Sun, Batman Begins, and The Prestige). |
My Public Profile 
