American Psycho
Both a scathing satire of the decade of the 1980s and an intense horror movie with a powerhouse perfomance from Christian Bale, this is one of the craziest things you will ever see. Patrick Bateman will stand alone as the ultimate example of the soullessness and narcissism of that decade, and it’s as such Bale’s performance is the only thing worth watching it for, as in the hands of any other actor it would be a campy disaster. It’s interesting that there are a number of other good actors here who are wasted and/or reduced to one note parts (and I NEVER thought I’d see a film where Samantha Mathis would come off as sexier and more appealing than Reese Witherspoon). Dafoe is a perfect example of this. He comes into the film making you think he’s gonna be some kind of wild card character, but in the end what you see of him is basically what you get. Chloe Sevigny gets in some touching bits as Bateman’s secretary, but basically the cast is what it should be, mindless cattle meant to be slaughtered at the insane hands of Bateman. Bale’s acting here really does outshine everyone else and reduce them to insignificance. Mary Harron does a fine job directing this man’s descent into madness, and the soundtrack features some of the best examples of 80s cool (Bateman’s monologues on Huey Lewis and Phil Collins are unforgettable). In the end, an astounding one man show, and proof positive of why Bale is destined to win an Oscar someday…
9/10