I simply am not there – Bret Easton Ellis

(Incipit du film)

I live in the American Gardens buildingon West 81st Street on the 11th floor. My name is Patrick Bateman. I’m 27 years old. I believe in taking care of myself,in a balanced diet, in a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning,if my face is a little pufffy, I’ll put on an icepack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the icepack, I use a deeppore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water-activated gel cleanser. Then a honey-almond bodyscrub.And on the face, an exfoliating gelscrub. Then I apply an herb mint facialmasque, which lleave on forten minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm, followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion. There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me. Only an entity–something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze… and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours…and may be you can even sense our life styles are probably comparable, I simply am not there. (extrait du film American Psycho)