American Psycho is a satire. I get that. American Psycho is a dark comedy. I get that, too. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a well-crafted film, which provides insightful, intelligent commentary on the targets of its satirical comedy. Rather, American Psycho has more in common with Idiocracy and Steven Colbert than it does with John Stewart or Wall-E. The truth is, American Psycho is simply a clumsy attempt at complex literary forms.

The film, set in Manhattan in the mid-1980s, is about a character named Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) who, along with his “friends,” form a group of wealthy, shallow, narcissistic Wall Street “yuppies.” But that isn’t the extent of Bateman’s problems. He also happens to be a serial killer – or at least thinks he is. The film presents both possibilities and leaves each open to viewer interpretation. Unfortunately, as either a serial killer or someone with delusions of grandeur, the pathos of Bateman’s character is simply not well researched – quite unlike the detail given his home cosmetic inventory, or his knowledge of 1980s pop music.

Add to this the relentless parade of petty, narcissistic characters and one has to wonder if the shallowness isn’t more of a reflection of the filmmaker than it is of society as a whole. Most of the best satire provides a measure of “truth” or reality which is the basis of the film’s position on whatever issue is being satirized. As a case in point, consider South Park. Most of the time, the kids provide some measure of sanity – even if it’s a simple, “Dude, that’s f*cked up.” But nothing of the sort occurs in American Psycho. And as a result, the film, like Idiocracy, runs the risk of turning into what it most wants to criticize: shallow and narcissistic and violent.

This is the difference between good satire and poorly executed satire. If the execution is poor, instead of providing an intelligent ladder to lift viewers out of the muck, the work of art simply becomes part of the morass. More than anything, what American Psycho is missing an element of humanity. The film comes closest to this in the characters of Bateman’s secretary Jean (Chloe Sevigny) and Detective Kimball (Willem Dafoe). But Kimball is barely present in the film, and Jean is so hopelessly insecure that she herself becomes as much of a caricature as every other character in the film.

That isn’t to say that the film is a total loss – if you really are into dark comedy, that is. If so, there are a few laughs to be had from “You’re not quite blonde, are you?” to “I have to return some video tapes” to Bateman running through an apartment building in naught but tennis shoes. But enjoying these moments won’t come easily, not unless you particularly enjoy very dark humor. I once had a friend describe the film as “hysterical” – but then again, this friend of mine, himself a former Wall Street trader, would be the first to tell you, “I have problems.”

Overall Grade: C-

As satire, American Psycho is clumsy and pedantic. As dark comedy, it is enjoyable – but only to a limited viewership. As a psychological profile, it’s an implausible mess, reflecting common misconception more often than portraying a plausible pathological character.

Topics: Comedy, Film Review, Satire
Filed under: Film

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