The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PORT PERRY "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2000-9 'Savage and funny, American Psycho does work STREENING ROOM AMERICAN PSYCHO - (Peder iri) 'Directed by Mary Harmon Now in theatres Remember the strange blend of intense drama with comic perversity in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971)? Do you recall that the anti-hero of that film, Alex, was the leader of a gang called the Droogs, who felt the need to wreak havoc by night in an England of the not so distant future? Alex beat up old men, raped a woman in front of her husband while warbling Singin' in the Rain, and finally killed a woman who resisted his advances. He was sent to prison where he became the sub- ject of an incredible experiment that would turn him off violence forever, yet in the process made him a pathetic victim of government control. Alex somehow sur- vives the treatment, and at the film's end he is already dreaming of his old ways, even anxious to get back to them. Kubrick's film was a lacerating explo- ration of the impact of society on the indi- vidual, the stripping away of rights, of choice, and finally, of grave error. The film disturbed audiences when released in the early 70s, yet is recognized as one of the greatest works of the cinema. Ground breaking then, what is astounding about A : Clockwork Orange is that the film still seems fresh today, nearly 30 years later. American Psycho will: undoubtedly draw some of the same comparisons as A : ~ Clockwork Orange, or even David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986), as a film that disturbs audiences in ways they never felt possi- ble. Yet for all the horrors within the film there is a great deal of humour, (albeit very black) in the picture, and a mind blowing, jaunty performance from the lead actor Christian Bale. Taking enor- mous risks with his role, willing to go out on a limb. Bale creates one of the most repellent yet charismatic characters in recent cinema history. The young. actor, best known for his performance as Jim in Steven Spielberg's great film Empire of the Sun (1987) obviously worked hard to prepare for the role, perfecting an American accent, and bulking up, but it is ~ the psychotic gleam in his eye, that pure enjoyment of killing that makes his per- formance work. American Psycho is among the more controversial in recent years. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the film has constantly been in the news as much for the behind the scenes goings on as for what eventually ends up on the big screen. At one point, Lions Gate Films 'was prepared to dump Canadian director Haron in favour of Oliver Stone, who wanted Leonardo de Caprio to tackle the lead role. When the Titanic superstar backed off, Lions Gate gathered their thoughts and gave the job back to Harron who made the call to Bale to let him know the part was his. Recently 80s rocker Huey Lewis wanted his songs taken off the soundtrack to the film because he in no way wanted to be associated with the pic- ture. When .the film premiered at the Sundance Festival this past January, it was an immediate sensation, drawing critical raves and savage attacks from the film's detractors (and there will be many), reac- tions the company must have expected. The film is a scathing study of both psychosis and the quest for materialistic existence. Bateman (Bale) is a driven merger and acquisitions trader with a penchant for murder. Fixated on success, on looks, on materialism, Bateman is a Yuppie from hell, clearly on the rise in terms of his career, but unable to deal with any sort of mess or rejection. Even the tools with which he kills and maims are gleaming stainless steel, which take on a personality all their own in his dead- ly hands. His working life is not quite real to him, as he seems to go through the motions each and every day. Yes, he is driven, yes he loves his work, but what Bateman real- ly lives for is bringing people home to his posh apartment and routinely slaughter- ing thein. It seems his killing sprees are the only part of his life where Patrick can happily let loose in every way; there is no guilt in his murder, there is no sense of remorse, but rather a giddy, twisted evil at work. His voice drips with contempt and hatred, though what he does not fully realize, is that both of those emotions are directed back at himself. Bale's performance dominates the film, and he is astounding, working himself to a near feverish lunacy that always, (and | mean always) works. Both terrifying yet comical, he gives one of the most original, daring performances in recent cinema his- tory. Imagine walking to the set everyday knowing what you had to portray, making "the choices as to how you will play it, then creating this immensely likeable, thor- oughly psychotic character. | believe this performance to be a major achievement that should be remembered come Oscar time next year. Strong support comes from Willem Dafoe as a detective on the trail of the murders, Reese Witherspoon as his tro- phy fiancee, and Chloe Sevigny a young - lamb brought to the slaughter. Director-writer Harron does a magnifi- cent job controlling the ebbs and flow of the story, making us laugh, but always rec- _ ognizing that our laughter will quickly die as we ponder whether or not we should be laughing. This fine Canadian film maker has created a startling film of bold originality, which admittedly will not be for everyone, but will chill and thrill those who can stomach it. Perhaps the most unsettling moment I have seen on film occurs when a buck naked Bateman happily runs through his apartment in pursuit of a victim with a chainsaw covering, and perhaps taking the place of his genitalia. I clearly remem- ber a long shiver of horror creeping down my spine, but like passing a car wreck, (or A Clockwork Orange) 1 could not tear my eyes from the screen. SALE ENDS APRIL 29/2000 G.E. Econolites Bulbs 40,60,%00 Watts