American Psycho

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American Psycho ★★ 1999 (R)

Trimmed-down and (slightly) cleaned-up version of Bret Easton Ellis's widely hated 1991 novel has Bale as '80s hotshot Wall Street exec and apparent serial-killer Patrick Bateman. Bateman is the poster child for Reaganera excess and preference for style over substance, a theme with which the film, while shooting for satire, beats you over the head. Like the decade it portrays, “Psycho” is far from subtle, and the characters barely register as two-dimensional, let alone three. They got the look right, but then, that's the point, isn't it? The production drew protests in Toronto, where some scenes were shot, and Leo DiCaprio was rumored to be in line to play the lead for a time. 103m/C VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD . Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis, Chloe Sevigny, Justin Theroux, Josh(ua) Lucas, Guinevere Turner, Matt Ross, William Sage, Cara Seymour; D: Mary Harron; W: Mary Harron, Guinevere Turner; C: Andrzej Sekula; M: John Cale.

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American Psycho

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American Psycho