American Psycho (2000)

I know American Psycho is an often featured film when talking style, suits or just still images taken from movies. Still I enjoy every single minute of this utterly good movie. The mockery of the 80's and the Wallstreet type of businessmen is just great. The delusion in which these businessmen mingle themselves every single day, the fake burden and responsibility they carry and their materialistic view on life. This hollow life is all too much for the narcissistic character of Patrick Bateman, the best role performed by Christian Bale to date. Perhaps the still of Willem Dafoe need some explaining, it's his face that has got so much character to it, he's the actor that could, in theory, play any kind of role. I had to capture it.

The following thought/quotation from Patrick Bateman is my favorite one of the movie and actually summarizes it quite good:

"Allen has mistaken me for this dickhead, Marcus Halberstram.
It seems logical because Marcus also works at P&P,
and in fact does the same exact thing I do.
He also has a penchant for Valentino suits and Oliver Peoples glasses.
Marcus and I even go to the same barber,
although I have a slightly better haircut."

Public Enemies (2009)

The aspect of cinema that keeps me fascinated is the visual appearance of characters. Where in books a character is described with words and lots of visual meaning is added by the reader, in film this description is fully given through images including facial features, clothing and movements. Because of that characters will always be ideal - just like the marble sculptures from the ancient Greeks. They are played by the best looking actors/actresses and look like they just took a shower after visiting the hairdresser and got themselves some crispy new clothes. You never see the average joe from the around the block. Please note I need to generalize here. And it's even more interesting if the film is historic or based on a true story, since there are facts on the original story and perhaps some pictures available.

As is with Public Enemies, which is all about John Dillinger. John Dillinger has had the luck to be played by John Depp II. If you've never seen any picture of the real John you would think that he was the most stylish guy in every State of America at the time. Don't get me wrong, Dillinger wasn't under dressed but Depp simply manages to portray a character that's the only remembrance you have afterwards. Enough. Other details in the film are almost as impressing. As for the heavy cotton prisoner outfits, the tweed coat with the blocked pattern, the dashboard of an old 1920's Ford model and all the different hat styles (including the prison one!).