There were a number of things in the film I enjoyed that are deserving of mention. First of all, the way in which the film was directed was rather daring for such a feature; the opening sequence where each character is presented by playing the same scene in reverse was a simple "trick" that worked effectively in the context of the film. Also, the scene where Sean and Lauren first encounter one another presented one of the most interesting uses of split-screen I have seen outside of Brian De Palma's best uses of the technique. I also enjoyed the way in which the tone of the film could dramatically shift, even when dealing with the same content. At one point in the film there is a young woman who commits suicide, and the scene is understandably horrific and played as one would expect. Shortly after, there is another attempted suicide by a different character, only this time it is performed in a way that is darkly comic.
The tone of the humor is another element that provided me with a great sense of enjoyment. The disturbing tone of the humor is one of the qualities that made Ellis' American Psycho such an enjoyable viewing experience, and while this film does not push the humor to that level, it still serves its comedic elements with a sharp edge. Undoubtedly one of my favorite performances in the film was the small role of the obnoxious gay friend of Victor, Richard Jared (Russell Sams). Though he is in the film for less than 15 minutes, he is absolutely hysterical in a small but effective role. I am rather saddened to see his screen credits are rather minor thus far, and I hope his talents will be utilized more in the near future.
With there were many virtues that I found during my viewing of this picture, there were also a number of facets of this film that I objected to. The prominent flaw that this film possessed was the simple fact that it had such a bold pedigree; the creators of this film, as previously mentioned, have made films that succeeded on a much greater level than this film. Though this film was hip and creative, I found Pulp Fiction to be much more accomplished on both counts. Though it was morbidly humorous and satirical, I believe American Psycho achieved both of these qualities much more effectively. Another quality that proved to be both a benefit and a detriment to the film was the creative way in which it was presented. While many of the techniques used achieved their desired effect admirably, some of them were more aggravating than impressive. The chief offender in this example can be found in the scene where the viewer is shown what Victor's activities have consisted of over the semester. It is shown in a flashback with the film sped up to a breakneck pace, which works briefly but ultimately runs far too long. It also seems that at times the film loses sight of what the driving plot of the film is, and though it maintained my interest, moments in the film were slightly convoluted.
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