QUICK TAKE: Horror: A slick but shallow 1980s era investment banker finds that he can't control his hidden homicidal thoughts and tendencies. PLOT: Patrick Bateman (CHRISTIAN BALE) is a slick but shallow investment banker during the greedy Wall Street days of the 1980s. Spending his days trying to one-up his competitive associates, including Paul Allen (JARED LETO), Timothy Bryce (JUSTIN THEROUX), Luis Carruthers (MATT ROSS) and Craig McDermott (JOSH LUCAS), Bateman is a man obsessed with being fit, trendy and getting into the best restaurants, while chastising his associates for being politically incorrect.
By night, however, Bateman is a different man. Although he's engaged to Evelyn Williams (REESE WITHERSPOON), he has no qualms about cheating on her with her best friend, Courtney Rawlinson (SAMANTHA MATHIS) or picking up hookers off the street, such as Christie (CARA SEYMOUR), and engaging in threesomes with other women, including his friend Elizabeth (GUINEVERE TURNER).
Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.
(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).
OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated thriller. Although there are hints and suggestions that some or most of what we see isn't really true, the sex and violence come off as almost always realistic. As such, an extreme amount of lethal and bloody violence is present as many people are killed in various fashions.
Those scenes and others (that are accompanied by an extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music) may also be disturbing, suspenseful or downright frightening to viewers depending on whether they take what occurs at face value or realize the intended satirical/farcical elements. Either way, the killer obviously has an extreme case of bad attitudes, while other men make some misogynistic comments about women.
Profanity is also rated as extreme due to nearly 30 uses of the "f' word, while other profanities and colorful phrases are also uttered. Several sexual encounters - some involving three people -- with nudity, movement and related sounds give that category an extreme rating as well. Various characters smoke and drink, while the protagonist and others also use cocaine.
Reviewed March 31, 2000 / Posted April 14, 2000
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