“Hello there kiddies! We have arrived at the illustrious top ten! What’s particularly special about this movie is that its not only my tenth favorite movie of all time, it’s The Vampire Cat Lestat’s favorite movie. Im not joking. Every time I watch this, she sits on the bed with me. There was one time I had it on repeat while I was taking a nap. She sat there for the whole thing two times through.
Like our previous entry, I didnt care for this much the first time I saw it. I dont know why, but it’s usually an expectations thing. I also wasn’t as into \m/ up movies as I am now. I wasn’t necessarily put off by it, but I do remember finding it weird. Now I cant get enough of this film. Or the book. I’ve read it two or three times. What fascinates me about the book is that it should be boring. It’s a fairly dry retelling of every minute detail of his days. I went to lunch with this person. I wore this suit by such and such designer with this tie by this designer. Was going to wear this other one, but this magazine said not to. The other person was wearing *description*. We ordered the *detailed lunch*. Next chapter is more of the same. Then suddenly, there’s a chapter that sounds just as mundane, but he takes an ax to somebody. Next chaper is another lunch. You feel like you’re inside his head, and you’re sucked in. The minutia start to become fascinating, even if you can’t remember it.
There’s much debate about what it all means. Are all the murders in his head? is he really crazy? My personal opinion is that it has to be real. I think that it negates the whole point if he’s just imagining everything. Okay, I’ll concede that the sequence from the ATM to the confession (best scene in the movie, btw) is in his head. American Psycho is a statement (albeit satirical, not unlike Chuck Palahniuk) about yuppies in the late 80’s early 90’s. They’re so wrapped up in themselves, they have no idea what anybody else is doing. So Bateman just happens to go around killing people, no one notices. Hell, he even confesses to somebody and that somebody not only doesn’t believe him, he doesnt even know that it’s Bateman he’s talking to. I think if you want to lump this into the horror category (not that I would) that’s what makes it scary–the way that nobody really knows anybody, not the fact that the guy’s a serial killer.
Fantastic piece of acting from Christian Bale. This is him at his hottest and most intense. He’s just charming enough that you look past his sleeze. Everything is delivered so matter of fact, without losing the audience to boredom. You can hear the tone of the book in his voice, and reading the book you can hear Bale’s voice in the tone. Whoa. The supporting cast is top notch as well: Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, Chloë Sevigny, Willem DaFoe, Josh Lucas.
One thing I know for sure. After this movie, Huey Lewis and The News will never be the same.”