American Psycho

Une critique de la superficialité du style de vie et des valeurs tordues des hommes d'affaires de Wall Street, découpée dans un thriller d'horreur divertissant avec des nuances de comédie noire cynique. La performance de Bale en sociopathe est remarquable, le film a une bonne esthétique et est bien monté, mais il donne une impression tout aussi superficielle et froide que le sujet critiqué. Par exemple, les scènes de sexe surprennent par leur franchise, mais elles ne sont pas aussi personnelles et permettant de définir la personnalité du personnage principal, comme dans Shame. Elles cherchent plutôt à surprendre et choquer dans les eaux d'un grand courant de cinéma mainstream avec un casting de stars. (30/06/2021)

Ma première « rencontre » avec Christian Bale : fou, horrible, épouvantable, choquant, dégoûtant, nauséabond, glaçant, mais en même temps fascinant. Il ne m’a jamais semblé aussi bon que dans cette adaptation du célèbre roman de Bret Easton Ellis. (14/04/2007)

American Psycho is one of those films that can be rated from one to five stars. From a technical standpoint, it's a decently crafted piece with good cinematography, editing, and especially strong acting performances, where most of the cast gives it their all, and it's almost a pity that the same level of performance isn't seen in a stronger film. Even in small roles, quality actors like Chloë Sevigny as the secretary shine. However, the problem lies with the content, which, while superficially flashy, is internally empty and decadent - scenes from the high society milieu, nightclubs filled with glamorous beauties and yuppies in elegant squares are typical. In short, it's a kitschy affair that, while somewhat faithfully capturing Bret Easton Ellis' literary source material, is quite indigestible for me. Overall impression: 40%. (16/06/2006)

An intentionally controversial thriller. Do I mind? Not at all. Bale is fantastically convincing in the role of the psychotic financier Bat(e)man and so is the portrayal of that high society world. Of course, I’ve no idea how realistic it is, but I know that I don’t have even the slightest desire to live it first hand. (23/12/2009)

A probe into the mind of a member of a certain animal species from Wall Street who revels in expensive formal suits and designer goods, slaps on all sorts of menthol, moisturizing and peeling masks, regularly visits tanning salons, blathers about nothing in his circle of friends passing it off as serious deep musings. His measure of success is, among other things, the appearance of his business card, which he likes to compare with his equally afflicted friends, and to be free and cool, he goes to parties to snort coke. In fact, he is so bored with his emotional emptiness that he entertains himself in a quite "original" way, he kills. Those empty-minded suits sometimes make you so sick that the murders aren't even that disgusting in comparison. And to be honest, the murders are the least interesting thing about the whole movie. (14/07/2003)