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The Orphanage 2013 ★★
Kid ends up in an orphanage where the HR department seems to be run by either Nurse Ratchett or Miss Trunchbull. I mean, the supposed lead doctor – what's his face – goes from calm to losing his shit at speeds you only see in car commercials. What the hell?! Even the staff at the halfway house in Friday the 13th: A new beginning would look at this guy and be like: shame on you.
The result is that you end up caring for the main character, at least a little.
Overall, not all that impressive. Too much relying on ominous music and too little actual scares.
American Psycho 2000 ★★★★
There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it I have now surpassed. My pain is constant and sharp, and I do not hope for a better world for anyone. In fact, I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape. But even after admitting this, there is no catharsis; my punishment continues to elude me, and I gain no deeper knowledge of myself. No new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This confession has meant nothing. - Patrick Bateman
One of my all time favorite movies.
Christian Bale delivers perhaps the first career defining performance. He perfectly encapsulates Patrick Bateman in all hs cynicism, disdain, brattiness, vanity, shallowness,... The moments when he looks at himself in the mirror while having sex with two prostitutes.now that's hilarious.
It's sometimes hammy as hell, with the card scene as the prize winner. And the best thing is: you never know if it's real or not. Is this really happening? Are these people really as self absorbed and vein? Are they really this hollow? These bollocks running windbags with the money to live this lifestyle? Or is it all happening in the warped fantasy of Patrick Bateman?
From the other cast members, the only one that really comes close is Willem Dafoe. Not sure if true, but apparently, they did alternate takes of the interrogations was either clueless or completely on to Bateman and sees through him. Which makes his character extra odd, yet in a suitable way.
We all remember the chainsaw bit, but on the gore level, this movie is quite tame. Most of it is shown through suggestion, like the bit with the hanger and even the axe scene was not all that explicit.
A great piece of satire and dark comedy.
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