Cheap The Rules of Attraction (DVD) (James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder) (Roger Avary) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Rules of Attraction

Rules of the Disillusioned
Athough the book by Bret Easton Ellis ranks far superior to the movie adaptation, Roger Avary's little cinematic work is a fine and intriguing look at the lives of upper-middle class college students at a small liberal arts institution. It also one of the more disturbing and darker comedy-dramas in recent years.
The movie centers around the hazy, empty lives of its three main characters: Sean (James Van Der Beek), the drug-dealing hopeless romantic who wants nothing more out of life than to get high and get laid; Paul (Ian Somerhalder), the delusional pessimistic bisexual who pines for Sean, and Lauren (Shannon Sossamon), the virgin with a heart of ice. The plot focuses on the bizarre and ultimately anti-climactic love triangle between the three. All around them are drugs, booze, sex, and just about every form of debauchery able to be conjured up on a college campus. Sean, played by the always impressive James Van Der Beek, believes Lauren is the one leaving love notes in his mail box and convinces himself she is the one for him. Paul is unsuccessful in his attempts to connect with, well, anyone. He searches for love and companionship in all the wrong places and in all the wrong people (including the very hetero Sean). Lauren desires to save herself for Victor (Kip Pardue), her alleged boyfriend who has forgotten about her (or was she ever with him to begin with?). Lauren may be a virgin but she is far from being innocent or pure.
There are plenty of cinematic tricks delivered by Avary and his work with Tarantino on Pulp Fiction can be seen in some of the films more impressive and innovative scenes (for example the split frontal view in the only intimate scene between Van Der Beek and Sossamon). The film's style of course is significant in that it supports the idea that for the college students at the fictional Camden life is tedious, repetitive, and ultimately inconclusive. Life is also for Van Der Beek and company without a glimmer of compassion and hope and this is perhaps where the film tends to falter at times leaving the viewer(s) feeling almost as miserable as the characters. Still, it's an overall insightful portrayal of the disillusionment and moral vacancy of today's youth. The strong supporting cast includes Kip Pardue, Jessica Biel, Kate Bosworth, Fred Savage, Eric Stoltz, Russell Sams (as an obnoxious ex-lover of Paul's),Thomas Ian Nicholas, Faye Dunaway, and a list of hit 80's pop tunes.
Warning: This is NOT a teen flick. Such mature and sensitive themes featured in the film are casual sex, drug use (or abuse in this case), suicide, and rape. This is a film about the darker side of college life and thus should be viewed by only those of the appropriate age and maturity level. In other words, the film earns its R rating.

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even better than the book
this movie was awesome it did a great job of showing the characters emotion and expressing what college life (even if it is a pretty wild version) is really like. This movie does a great job of showing the same event through other people's point of view finally a movie that understands that life has more than one point of view

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What was the point?
After watching this film, I wondered "what was the most obnoxious part of this movie"? Was it at the drug dealer's house? Was it the gay guys' dinner with their mothers? Or maybe it was the overly long and inflated "whirlwind" tour of Europe through the eyes of, perhaps, the most despicable person in this film?

All of these characters are deplorable and shallow. One reviewer said they felt sorry for the girl who was sending the purple letters! Why? She does herself in for a guy that she doesn't even know and has made no attempt to talk to!! Following their lives leaves the viewer feeling empty. They are all emotionally and ethically bankrupt. Why should we care about these characters? What is the point here?!

It is truly sad that Brett Easton Ellis has gotten rich writing pathetic drivel such as this. He has truly hoodwinked a lot of people who are easily shocked. Richard Avary and Ellis is a good combo though-- because both are masters at creating exploitative, sensationalist garbage with no heart.

2 stars for the acting only.