The Rules of Attraction, Roger Avary’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ second novel, is a clever look at the lives of several selfish, morally corrupt college students. Sean Bateman (James Van Der Beek) is a drug dealing anti-hero who wants to relate to the sensitive, pot-smoking virgin, Lauren Hynde (portrayed by Shannyn Sossamon) because he believes that she has been writing him love letters. Meanwhile, Paul Denton (Ian Somerhalder), Lauren’s bisexual ex-boyfriend, is pursuing Sean for his own romantic needs.
When this film was originally released, it was marketed as being a typical teen sex comedy that nudged the volume up to eleven. No wonder The Rules of Attraction became such a notorious flop at the box office, it was made to be something it was not.
For the record I am a big fan of this movie, and I have been since my first viewing four years ago. What I have discovered, however is that very few people find this film as pleasing as I do (which is a pity, in my opinion). It has taken me a few years, but I think I have finally figured it out. Many people find this film unbearable for one primary reason; it represents a complete disconnection from the typical prepackaged Hollywood movies we have all come to expect. This lack of familiarity can be very uncomfortable for some people, but personally I believe that this is what makes the film so interesting.
This film is disorienting and it has a very dangerous vibe. Nothing at all seems to connect; the narrative structure of the film begins and ends mid-sentence during a monologue, time shifts backward and forward (sometimes without viewers even taking notice), the tone goes from light and hilarious to dark and disturbing, and there is a four minute montage in the third act of the film that completely deters viewers from ever thinking that Roger Avary will eventually let on to a pattern. Even the characters cannot seem to connect with each other. Virtually every conversation depicted in this film is superficial and misconceived. In this case it is not indicative of bad writing or directing, instead it reinforces the notion that these sex-crazed, alcohol-soaked twenty-somethings will never truly “know” each other (whether they want to or not). In fact, the only scene in which Sean and Lauren almost connect with each other shows both characters in a split screen, completely cutting off one from the other (this scene also involved some impressive camera work and very long takes, which just go to show how talented the cast and crew were on this feature).
The Rules of Attraction is brimming with moments that make viewers feel extremely uncomfortable. As we invest more cognitive thought into these characters and the situations we find them in, we sometimes feel as though we are intruding upon something that is very personal. For instance, the sex scenes in this film are terribly raw, they are not glorified or romanticized in any way. Viewers are even forced to look at nothing but Sean’s face as he aggressively indulges in his one-night-stands. Avary also depicts the most emotional and yet the most visceral suicide I have ever seen in a film. Although tastefully done, this scene captures the complete contemptuous nature of suicide to a degree that I find hard to match. In my honest opinion, any film that can make me feel so voyeuristic, as if I should not be watching at all, has done it’s job depicting a gritty reality, which I find very admirable.
Do not let it depress you, this film also has some hilarious moments, and the soundtrack (created by tomandandy) keeps the mood very light and whimsical for the bulk of the movie. Much of
The Rules of Attraction will have you laughing, the actors have a great sense of comedic timing, but keep in mind that Ellis’ characters are not meant to be looked up to, they are one dimensional, egoistic caricatures of college life, they are not to be trusted.
I commend Van Der Beek and Sossamon for their subtle yet charismatic performances. Clifton Collins Jr., Russell Sams, and Fred Savage (of all people) also make very pleasing additions with their smaller roles.
Sadly, no matter how many times I attempt to convince everyone to see this movie, there will always be those who don’t think it is worth their time. To those people, I would like to say that if you refuse to see this movie because it is “different”, then instead see it because it is interesting.