Talking To The Screen
The Rules of Attraction
Tuesday 1/21/02 10:36 pm
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'The Rules of Attraction' tells the rambunctous story of a handful of college students around the turn of the millenium.
Usually, movies with a breakneck pace are action flicks with explosions and heros and pretty girls and shallow love stories. 'The Rules of Attraction' has no explosions, no heros, the women are pretty, and the love is far from idyllic. Despite all this, it is the quickest most captivating thrill-ride of a movie I've seen since 'Snatch'. [So there's no mistake, I love 'Snatch', I had some hope for Guy Ritchie. This movie is of another level. 'Snatch':'The Rules of Attraction'::Teacup ride:The Great American Scream Machine.]
From the opening scene, this film is rivetting. Many movies start with a scene anachronistically, and then take the hackneyed approach of "Six months earlier" overlayed on the bottom of the screen...or worse, a voiceover. 'The Rules of Attraction' employs the timeworn anachronistic openiing, but uses a fresh device in place of the overlay.
Richard Avery directs his adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name to stellar ends. The visual trickery used throughout at times plays as important as the dialog. (See scene between Van Der Beek and Sossamon in a hallway.) The acting is above and beyond expectations. James Van Der Beek plays Sean Bateman (yes, brother of Patrick Bateman of 'American Psycho' fame), the closest thing this ensemble film has to a protagonist. Van Der Beek made his name on the bubblegum pop teen drama 'Dawson's Creek', and hadn't departed from the dreamboat persona before this. This makes his portrayal of the anti-moral Sean even more thrilling. He pulls off the dark comedy of the character as well as any (think, Brad Pitt in '12 Monkeys' but much darker). Shannyn Sossamon had previously been marginalized to lighthearted roles as well. It was a pleasure to see her lose her dramatic virginity and be more than a pretty face with a unique name. There are a handful of other excellent young actors in this film, but Van Der Beek and Sossamon steal the show.
Drug use and open sexuality and free wheeling insensitivity are hallmarks of this film. It is a morally bleak story with no hope. But crafted as a double helix of levity and travesty with a blinding pace, 'The Rules of Attraction' remains captivating from start to finish. Excellent, serious yet youthful filmmaking.
My aside: Any male actors looking for a monologue, transcribe and commit to memory Victor's story of his time in Europe. You won't be sorry.
Home
'The Rules of Attraction' tells the rambunctous story of a handful of college students around the turn of the millenium.
Usually, movies with a breakneck pace are action flicks with explosions and heros and pretty girls and shallow love stories. 'The Rules of Attraction' has no explosions, no heros, the women are pretty, and the love is far from idyllic. Despite all this, it is the quickest most captivating thrill-ride of a movie I've seen since 'Snatch'. [So there's no mistake, I love 'Snatch', I had some hope for Guy Ritchie. This movie is of another level. 'Snatch':'The Rules of Attraction'::Teacup ride:The Great American Scream Machine.]
From the opening scene, this film is rivetting. Many movies start with a scene anachronistically, and then take the hackneyed approach of "Six months earlier" overlayed on the bottom of the screen...or worse, a voiceover. 'The Rules of Attraction' employs the timeworn anachronistic openiing, but uses a fresh device in place of the overlay.
Richard Avery directs his adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name to stellar ends. The visual trickery used throughout at times plays as important as the dialog. (See scene between Van Der Beek and Sossamon in a hallway.) The acting is above and beyond expectations. James Van Der Beek plays Sean Bateman (yes, brother of Patrick Bateman of 'American Psycho' fame), the closest thing this ensemble film has to a protagonist. Van Der Beek made his name on the bubblegum pop teen drama 'Dawson's Creek', and hadn't departed from the dreamboat persona before this. This makes his portrayal of the anti-moral Sean even more thrilling. He pulls off the dark comedy of the character as well as any (think, Brad Pitt in '12 Monkeys' but much darker). Shannyn Sossamon had previously been marginalized to lighthearted roles as well. It was a pleasure to see her lose her dramatic virginity and be more than a pretty face with a unique name. There are a handful of other excellent young actors in this film, but Van Der Beek and Sossamon steal the show.
Drug use and open sexuality and free wheeling insensitivity are hallmarks of this film. It is a morally bleak story with no hope. But crafted as a double helix of levity and travesty with a blinding pace, 'The Rules of Attraction' remains captivating from start to finish. Excellent, serious yet youthful filmmaking.
My aside: Any male actors looking for a monologue, transcribe and commit to memory Victor's story of his time in Europe. You won't be sorry.