• Roger Avary’s The Rules of Attraction
  • It is from Bret Easton Ellis’ second novel (between Less Than Zero and American Psycho) and lives in the same lexicon as Ellis’ work- Sean Bateman- played by James Van Der Beek here is the brother of Bale’s Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
  • Starts with party— three intersecting lives and love stories (Van Der Beek, Ian Somerhalder, Shannyn Sossamon play the characters). Avary lines them all up in one shot actually at the party— and then uses reverse photography (o great effect, and it is used throughout the film as a stylistic tool
  • A dark, cynical social critique- this is the upper crust, touring parties, sex, drugs, superficial people, spoiled brats around the campus
  • An inspired split-screen sequence to “Colours” by Donovan- tracking Van Der Beek and Sossamon as they go to class on a Saturday morning and meet

An inspired split-screen sequence to “Colours” by Donovan- tracking Van Der Beek and Sossamon as they go to class on a Saturday morning and meet

  • It is a weird performance from Van Der Beek- really going for it making some cartoonish faces- Somerhalder is a Rob Lowe or Jared Leto look alike without some of the acting talent— it is a weakness- this is a stronger film with better actors
  • Hilarious that the Sossamon character uses a book of pictures of venereal diseases as a deterrent for sex
  • Aside vignettes of minor characters- like the tragic girl who writes letters to Van Der Beek and the inspired romp around Europe by the Victor character
  • An important part of the film and critique- a quick scene with Swoosie Kurtz and Faye Dunaway (yes, Faye Dunaway)— parents of these kids– popping pills and drinking excessively just like their kids

An important part of the film and critique- a quick scene with Swoosie Kurtz and Faye Dunaway (yes, Faye Dunaway)— parents of these kids– popping pills and drinking excessively just like their kids

  • Bookends with the party that opens the film—so the film is the story of how we got to this awful night for these three. “You never going to know anybody”- failed love stories
  • The music is comprised of great individual songs and choices- but can never quite find a decade as we go from George Michael to Donovan to the Counting Crows
  • Recommend but not in the top 10-20 of 2002