American Psycho (2000)

Director:

Mary Harron

Writers (WGA):

Bret Easton Ellis (novel)
Mary Harron (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

No Introduction Necessary.

Plot:

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.

Plot Keywords:

Violence | Materialism | Fear | Stabbed To Death | Blood Spatter

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Christian Bale	...	Patrick Bateman
Justin Theroux	...	Timothy Bryce
Josh Lucas	...	Craig McDermott
Bill Sage	...	David Van Patten
Chloë Sevigny	...	Jean
Reese Witherspoon	...	Evelyn Williams
Samantha Mathis	...	Courtney Rawlinson
Matt Ross	...	Luis Carruthers
Jared Leto	...	Paul Allen
Willem Dafoe	...	Det. Donald Kimball
Cara Seymour	...	Christie
Guinevere Turner	...	Elizabeth
Stephen Bogaert	...	Harold Carnes
Monika Meier	...	Daisy
Reg E. Cathey	...	Al, the Derelict

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality, drug use and language.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English | Spanish | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Brazil:18 | USA:NC-17 (original cut) | Philippines:R-18 | USA:R (Certificate #37205) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | USA:Unrated (uncut DVD version)

Filming Locations:

Boston Club - 4 Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Am Psycho Productions

Trivia:

In the scene with the prostitute Chrissie, Bateman's friend mentions their mutual acquaintance "Alison Poole". Alison Poole is the narrator and main character of the novel "Story of My Life" by Jay McInerney, a contemporaneous peer author to Bret Easton Ellis.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Bateman's office is supposed to be located downtown, yet the view out his window is clearly of midtown.

Quotes:

Patrick Bateman: I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

Movie Connections:

References A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

Soundtrack:

Pump Up the Volume

The majority of those who complain probably haven't read the book...

... because with "American Psycho", Mary Harron and her screen writing partner have delivered the most faithful adaptation it would be possible to release without getting the film banned or revolting audiences so much that no one comes to see it. It would be IMPOSSIBLE to take some of the most extreme sequences from the book and commit them to film. What the movie instead does is to give us an insight into the stunningly fragile and insecure mind of Patrick Bateman, and to speculate whether his unstable nature would REALLY lead him to perpetrate vile acts, or whether he just fantasises about doing so.

I think it matters little in the context of this film whether Bateman's exploits are actually based in reality, because whether they are or they aren't, Bateman is still left in the grip of paranoia, brought on by the shallowness of the society that is around him. Bateman is less of a 'psycho' than a vessel for all the selfish evils of society to corrupt, and a sensible audience is more likely to be left reeling at how he has been turned into a 'robot', than by the discreet amounts of gore that do feature in the movie.

"American Psycho" is fascinating to watch because Bateman is such a complex character. We feel revulsion at his violent tendencies, amused by his complete superficiality, and pity at his crumbling sanity. In order to evoke such diverse feelings from one performance, we need a superb actor. Bale's performance is right on the money. Never does HIS mask slip as does that of Patrick Bateman. He is completely believable in all his emotions.

There is NOTHING in the film that is not true to the book (although there are bits in the book that are not true to the film) Both the reading and watching experiences are valuable and rewarding ones, but what they share with each other is that while they're exploring somebody else's mental state, they are also probing that of their audience. Can we see the funny side in the fact that these murders were committed for very trivial reasons?

Can we ridicule someone with the knowledge that he is also a fantastically dangerous person? The film and book are constantly pushing boundaries, and if you don't fight that, but instead surrender to it, they will take you to many interesting places. Don't be afraid to give in to your emotions and laugh when you see something funny, because the movie shows us what emotional repression has done to someone like Patrick.

Kudos to Mary Harron for tackling a seriously difficult project and turning it into one of the cleverest movies of recent years. "American Psycho" is anything you want it to be; glossy and superficial, or deep and meaningful. The question is: Do you look at things from the same narrow angle as Patrick Bateman does? If so, then the movie is not for you...