The 2000 cult classic American Psycho is finally making an appearance in high definition with its exclusive release on Blu-ray. Based on the controversial book by Bret Easton Elis, many said its transformation to the big screen would be improbable due to its large amount of violence and sexual content. Sure enough it was released to much criticism and as well with much acclaim. Staring then up and comer, now Hollywood star, Christian Bale along with Willem Dafoe, Josh Lucas, Reese Witherspoon, and Jared Leto, this cast alone makes this movie have lots of potential.
Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, a hotshot New York broker who is materialistic, self-centered, deeply conflicted and emotionally detached. The opening scenes of the movie depict Bateman as a well-spoken functioning member of society although fairly self obsessed. He appears to have a functioning relationship with his fiancé Evelyn (Reese Witherspoon), and is an apparent user of cocaine in social circles. Aside from his nights out with his fiancé, Bateman hangs out with fellow co-workers who only encourage his anti-social, uptight attitude. Things start to heat up when we realize Bateman is much more troubled than his apparent surface flaws, we begin to understand that he is a dark sociopath who cannot function in society. He begins killing for fun, in particular his co-worker Paul Allan (Jared Leto), who was arguably murdered for having a better business card than Bateman. In unison with the “disappearance” of Paul Allen, Detective Donald Kimball (Willem Dafoe) begins investigating all possible suspects, including Patrick Bateman. Things really get interesting here as we watch Bateman self-destruct taking his aggressions out on everyone; from dogs to prostitutes and everyone in-between. All the way to the confusing and very debatable conclusion I found myself immersed in this film.
American Psycho had some very impressive dialogue, the characters were all very interesting and on the surface very shallow, as the movie goes on you learn more and more what motivates these people. The brutality in the movie was even cut down some to achieve an R rating (although this disc includes the unrated version), but in comparison to the senseless violence in movies like Hostel and The Hills Have Eyes, American Psycho wasn’t as graphic as people make it out to be. But its violence is part of the appeal; it only showcases how troubled this seemingly normally functioning member of society is behind closed doors. The acting was superb all the way around, as always by Christian Bale who never disappoints and I still say should be in more movies. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, and Reese Witherspoon as well did it for me, together everyone meshed well together and American Psycho proved to be a very interesting picture. Trying to breakdown the characters is half the fun of this movie, especially Patrick Bateman. Is he just a spoiled brat who has everything and needs to indulge in these sinister acts to fulfill his inner animosity, or is he just caught up in a materialistic world of greed and corruption just looking for a way out? You decide yourself when you watch this movie that is much deeper than it appears on the surface, but aside from all the things I found appealing about this movie the best thing about it was the outstanding performance by Christian Bale. This movie is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t yet seen it, either you’ll love it or you’ll hate it, there isn’t much room in-between on a movie like this.
Video
Presented in a 1080p 2.35:1 aspect ratio, American Psycho is the latest entry from Lionsgate to hit Blu-ray. I have to say when I saw the picture quality of the opening scene I was a bit worried. Not only was this scene soft, it also was plagued by scratches to the print. Luckily this all changes once we are taken to the first shot of Patrick Batemans apartment. Detail here was very impressive, along with the solid whites and blacks colors which form his rooms. Colors remained vibrant, flesh tones realistic and details sharp throughout most of the film. You will still encounter the odd soft looking scene but shortcomings aside and considering the films low budget, American Psycho still has a good transfer, one that fans shouldn’t pass up.
Audio
Lionsgate has fitted American Psycho with both a DTS HD 5.1 and Dolby Digital EX tracks, both doing a good job with the material given. The sound as expected is extremely front heavy, which may disappoint some. Dialogue did sound good and surprisingly not as flat as I was expecting. Things do pick up once we are taken into a nightclub or bear witness to Batemans many murders. These scenes sound great and utilize rear channels and base, keeping the audio from sounding too front heavy. Overall, Lionsgate has done a good job with the films audio, it’s not the best sounding track I have heard from them but fits the given material well.
Special Features
We are given a disappointing amount of features, luckily they offer some interesting material and are worth checking out.
- Audio Commentary – We are given two audio commentaries. The first is with Director Mary Harron, while the second is with Writer Guinevere Turner.
- Deleted Scenes – We are given five deleted scenes each with a brief interview with an actor or actress from the film. These are the best set of extras on the disc but don’t add to an already strong film.
- The 80s: Downtown – A thirty minute look at the culture that made the 80s what it was. We are given a closer look at the wall street brokers and the drugs that formed the setting of the movie.
Final Thoughts
American Psycho was a very well done movie. If you’re already a fan of this picture then the Blu-ray is a sure buy based on the integrity of the audio and video alone, which weren’t perfect but they did the trick for me. If you haven’t seen it yet you should check it out because it’s most definitely worth your time. The special features are pretty interesting and worth checking out, so there shouldn’t be anything holding you back from buying it right now. If you haven’t checked out the movie yet because you heard about the intimate details of torture and murder from the book, don’t expect that in the movie. As I mentioned previously the violence is really toned down and although at times graphic, it is nothing compared to some of the pointless violence in horror movies nowadays. American Psycho is an all around solid disc and the movie itself is most definitely worth checking out.
