The Rules of Attraction
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Movie Reviews of The Rules of Attraction
Movie Review: Horribly advertised, brilliantly executed...
Summary: 5 Stars
I'd really like to meet the responsible party who marketed this film since they obviously had little idea about what 'The Rules of Attraction' was trying to convey. Or perhaps, more simply, the marketers were trying to bring in the largest audience possible by making it seem like this was a college soap opera that anyone could watch and understand. Having read some of the reviews for this movie, its clear that those who appreciated it understood the point of having a story (and story telling device) that is concerned primarily with style, not substance; a story that has no real likeable characters (or at least, hero or heroes), and imagery and language that is overly gratuitous and disturbing. This film essentially is a mirror for youth culture today and in many ways is simply a documentary of modern life. I could write a lot more about this movie, but ultimately, that, for me, is what it comes down to. Although I haven't read completely any of Bret Easton Ellis' works, I think a lot of credit must be given to him for the original story, though Roger Avary was a large part of this movie's making, and he did a brilliant job.
If you are like me and fully understood and appreciated what this film was concerned about, then you find yourself deeply gratified that stories with such relevance and importance are still being told.
Movie Review: REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY
Summary: 5 Stars
Sean, Paul and Lauren are surrounded at Camden College, New England, by a host of very good `friends,' yet they are all alone. And so it goes that with endless rounds of drug, alcohol, and sex drenched campus activities to par take in, such as The End of the World Party or The Dress to get Screwed Party human nature determines that in a highly imperfect world, the rules of attraction always apply. Do not enter this film with any preconceived ideas. James Van Der Beek may by that annoying twenty-something playing a teenager on CH4's Dawson's Creek yet this is nothing like that or even his weak starring role in Varsity Blues. Written and Directed by Tarrantino's colleague Roger Avary, the man behind Killing Zoe has finally had a chance to out-shine his former running buddy. Based on the best selling Brett Easton Ellis novel, The rules of attraction slowly dissects with skill the intertwined relationships of three key students.
Its easy to say that the brother of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman, Sean (Beek) is the central figure here but that would be to misread the movie as a whole, as this finely layered masterpiece is rather more an ensemble work than star vehicle. Paul (Ian Somerhalder) and Lauren (Shannyn Sossamon) lend themselves as excellently to the script as Van Der Beek does.
Movie Review: The Madness of Youth
Summary: 5 Stars
The Rules of Attraction might very well be the best comedy I saw in 2002. Yes, read this right. A comedy. I found myself laughing so hard at times that I had to watch the movie twice to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Only the twisted mind of Bret Easton Ellis could create the basis for this film. On the other hand, this is also a dark, pessimistic film with very little hope in store for its characters. Here, we follow three young people who live their College years through drugs, parties and sex. They are all without an identity, all without a life so to speak. The only thing they love is feeling sorry for themselves and making everything seem worst than it is.
You can't care for these characters in a way that other movies will make you care. And yet, you can't help but feel sorry for this lot of blinded kids. They are so enthralled with their own little world that they forget about everything else that surrounds them in reality.
This is not a movie for that faint of hearts. But this little piece of cinematic genius (some of the shots are so brilliantly done they left me totally speachless) deserves to be seen by a wider audience. If only people could open up and admire something that is this dark and yet so extremely funny, they would discover a whole new cinematic world.
Movie Review: Smart script & excellent execution make for intriguing film
Summary: 5 Stars
Roger Avary (co-writer of Pulp Fiction & Reservoir Dogs with Quentin Tarantino) creates a modern retelling of Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. James Van Der Beek creates a remarkable portrait of privelege gone awry as a the rich debauched younger brother of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman. He lusts for a girl he has never met and will do anything to bed her, all the while unaware that his target is not the one who has been leading him on. It's a telling sign of the film that we are presented with the film's ending at the start of the film with the rest of the film as prologue to these characters' unseemly predicaments at the start of the film. The film boasts a wonderful rich soundtrack by Tomandandy which creates this 80's atmosphere to hearken to the book's original setting.The film's best segment is a European vacation vignette with Kip Pardue that sets up the eventual adaptation of Ellis' novel Glamourama, but if there's one film worth watching for a 5 minute sequence, it's this one as Avary gives us a drug fueled manic tour monologue of the European continent in 5 minutes only to have it set up as a payoff to a joke about virgin conquests, hearkening back to early Tarentino/Avary fare like Reservoir Dogs. Excellent film.
Movie Review: Intoxicating to Say The Least
Summary: 5 Stars
Accurate. Narcotic. Brooding. Genious.I had seen the movie at the theaters the week it came out and I knew as soon as it ended* it was probably the best movie I had seen since Fight Club- excluding maybe Bowling For Columbine.
I guess given an open ended oppurtunity to talk about this movie I don't even know where to start. The first time I saw it I thought I was just romanced by the bevvy of special effects and new school directing techniques. However, it wasnt until the second or third time I saw the movie that I could really understand how great this film really was.
THe acting is top shelf, or as good as you are going to get from the teenie bopper crowd. The cameos (the "Dick" character especially) and Eric Stolz are solid. And maybe Im crossing a boundary by saying it, but Rogery Avery could be on the heels of his former partner in Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino.
The bottom line is, this movie is great, yet controversial. Even though all of my friends loved, I dont think it is for everyone. I would say it is for open minded teens and those who havent quiete forgotten what its like to be a confused youth. Others beware.