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Title: Preconceptions at the door, please
Review: American Psycho, in its literary form, is a difficult read, as it comes off as pure graphic exploitation. The violence is so strong that many readers were blinded to the sporadic humour of the piece, often laugh out loud funny. Happily, the film takes all the redeeming qualities of the novel and builds on them, creating another beast entirely. The film plays as a black comedy, not horror. There is a little bloodshed for the Fangoria hounds here, but most of the violence is off screen, left to the dark pits of imagination. Christian Bale gives a career making performance, making Patrick Bateman a ridiculous blend of Casey Casem and any masked axe wielding killer you could think of. But most importantly the film acts as a satirical look at the cultural emptiness of the eighties, and the emptiness of Bateman. Don't be afraid! This is a great film just waiting to be discovered.
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