American Psycho

[anogete]

I think in about 10 or 15 years, American Psycho will attain a sort of cult status. I would say this about Fight Club as well, but I thought that movie went downhill after the first forty-five minutes. Anyway, American Psycho was great. Not one of my top ten, but it was definitely worth my time and energy. Jason had seen it before, but I don't think he was paying all that much attention the first time 'round. He just now started to understand the story. I began to suspect that the murders were simply Patrick's delusions when he killed the escort and hooker. The clues that were dropped were so obvious. Why would he hide multiple bodies in the empty apartment of a man who is missing? Wouldn't this man's family be by to check on the apartment? Beyond that, the scene in the hallway with the chainsaw...come on... How could he possibly clean that up without others seeing or hearing him? So, the big reveal at the end wasn't all that much of a shock to me. The notebook that his secretary finds was an excellent touch though. A subtle way to show us that they really were all delusions. However, I do believe that the two instances where he came close to killing, but backed off were real and not imagined. The bathroom scene where he nearly strangled a coworker, but stopped himself and the scene with his secretary in his apartment where he asked her to leave for her own safety.

The superficiality of his world was to the extreme - almost a caricature of the world we all live in, yet not so out-there that you can't see it if you pay close attention to everyday life. I don't know if the movie didn't do too well with the general audience because people just didn't get it or if the audience was made uncomfortable by the message that Patrick could be anyone. Look at all this media shoved down our throats. You should like this song, this band, this exfoliating shower gel, this clothing designer, this restaurant. It's enough to numb a person, turn that person into a machine that is incapable of feeling his or her life unless drastic measures are taken. Patrick's drastic measures weren't drugs, alcohol, or even extremely promiscuous sex, but thoughts of murder and thereby a sense of power and exhilaration over life itself. Though he had extremely violent fantasies, he was unable to carry them out when it came down to it. How many of us could claim to have been in that boat at one point or another? I'd like to think that its lack of popularity is due to everyone's uneasiness with considering Patrick to be a small part of themselves. But in reality I think that it didn't connect with people because they just didn't get it.

Comments

[donttouchmyhat.livejournal.com]

A fine review! Impressive, young Siskel, most impressive ;)

I believe you're right - and perhaps another reason it didn't connect with audiences is that it *was* a very 80's mind-set movie; the image of the coked up yuppie just ain't been the same since Nirvana.

[cloggedthought.livejournal.com]

Never seen it, I'll have to watch it. I have found some movies really strike me but other don't get 'em. Maybe this one for you that's the same way.

[donttouchmyhat.livejournal.com]

Could be. I was interested all the way through, and certainly disturbed at some points, but it didn't take hold of me the way other ones have like, say, "Memento."

[anogete.livejournal.com]

It's a good watch. Like I said, it wasn't one of those movies where I feel like I have to OWN a copy of it, but I enjoyed it.

[anogete.livejournal.com]

I always think of guppies when I hear the work yuppies. Guppies are cute, yuppies are not.

[donttouchmyhat.livejournal.com]

Not cute, but they do tend to group.