American Psycho: You like Huey Lewis and the News?

'American Psycho', dirigida por Mary Harron en el año 2000, es una película necesaria, tanto como la novela de Bret Easton Ellist de la que se adapta el guión. Está protagonizada por un enorme Christian Bale en el papel del ya mítico personaje Patrick Bateman. Completan el reparto Justin Theroux, Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe y Reese Witherspoon.



Entre la infinidad de escenas memorables que tiene para elegir, me he decidido por la última intervención del personaje de Jared Leto (Paul Allen/Paul Owen en el guión), a pesar de que la escena de las tarjetas no se queda corta. Los que han visto esta obra de arte saben a lo que me refiero.

INT. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The living room floor has been meticulously covered with newspaper.
Owen is slumped drunkenly in a white Eames chair, a glass in his hand. Bateman is looking through his CDs.

BATEMAN: You like Huey Lewis and the News?

OWEN: They're okay.

BATEMAN: Their early work was a little too New Wave for my taste. But then Sports came out in 1983, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically.

Bateman walks to his bathroom, taking a large ax out of the shower. He takes two Valium.

BATEMAN(Said partly from the bathroom): The whole album has a clear, crisp sound and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that gives the songs a big boost.

Bateman comes back out and leans the ax against the wall.
He walks to the foyer and puts on a raincoat, watching Owen from behind all the time.

BATEMAN: He's been compared to Elvis Costello but I think Huey has a more bitter, cynical sense of humor.

Owen is absent-mindedly leafing through the Barneys catalogue.

OWEN: Hey, Halberstam?

BATEMAN: Yes, Owen?

OWEN: Why are there copies of the Style section all over the place? Do you have a dog? A chow or something?

BATEMAN: No, Owen.

OWEN(Confused): Is that a raincoat?

BATEMAN: Yes, it is.

Bateman moves to the CD player. He takes a CD out of its case and slides it in the machine.

BATEMAN: In 1987 Huey released this, Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think I heir undisputed masterpiece is "Hip To Be Square," a song so catchy that most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and the importance of trends. It's all a personal statement about the band itself.

Bateman puts on "Hip To Be Square."

BATEMAN crosses the room and picks up the ax.

We follow BATEMAN from behind as he walks up to Owen, the ax raised over his head.

BATEMAN: Hey, Paul?

As Owen turns around, FROM OWEN'S POV we see Bateman swing the ax toward his face.

Blood sprays onto the white raincoat.

FROM BEHIND OWEN, we see BATEMAN as he yanks the ax out.

Owen drops to the floor. His body falls out of the frame.
We stay on his legs twitching mechanically.

Blood pulses onto the newspaper-covered floor.

BATEMAN(Raising the ax and screaming): Try getting a reservation at Dorsia now, you fucking stupid bastard!

LOW ANGLE ON BATEMAN as he beats Owen with the back of the ax.

OFFSCREEN, the sound of the ax hitting Owen.

BATEMAN(Panting): Fucking bastard...

Bateman takes his raincoat off, still panting. He folds the coat carefully in half, bloody side in, and drapes it neatly over the back of a chair.

He sits back on the white sofa and surveys the scene. He checks his Rolex and lights a cigar.

OFFSCREEN, Paul Owen's last faint sighs are heard.