The Rules of Attraction

Based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel, The Rules of Attraction offers a razor sharp ensemble performance in one of this year's most sordid, edgy and controversial teen 'love' flicks.

Who would have thought it? Movie fanboy from Capeside finally grows up from a bad seed. Adding to his portfolio of mediocre films such as Varsity Blues, Van Der Beek finally shines in his portrayal as Sean Bateman - a rich college kid drug dealer whose deep obsession with a girl poses a threatening reflection of self-void and non-existence.

More significantly, the film boasts one half of the genius mind behind Pulp Fiction, Roger Avary, in the screenwriter and director's chair. It will be no surprise to audiences then, that 'The Rules of Attraction' not only tells an uncompromisingly brash story but also adopts a twisted narrative structure to move the plot forwards... or is that backwards?

The story takes place one semester at a liberal arts college in New England, and follows the lives of Sean (Van Der Beek), Lauren (Shannon Sossamon), Paul (Ian Somerhalder) and Victor (Kip Pardue) whose existence are interwoven by Sean's obsession for Lauren, Lauren's love for Victor who was once shagging Paul who now lusts for Sean. Both Sossamon and Somerhalder are great in their respective roles, and even Pardue's brief montage of going wild in Europe delivers a lot of personality to the misconstrued definition of 'love' in this film.

The film begins at the end at an 'end of the world' party; where the plot climaxes but stops and rewinds to the beginning of the academic year. From hereon we get to see their worlds individually from each rampant party to party, each orgasm or lack of, and each soul-drowning moments of void to void.

On one level, the film reels us into an ugly black hole of soulless, wasted, drug-induced youthdom, kids with more money than morals. It's enough for any film fan to feel restless for the need to draw something from the film to make these characters likeable... only to find there's nothing. The Rules of Attraction isn't an easy film to digest. You might even find yourself shouting at Sean to tell him it's not Lauren.

On another level, Avary's insightful dissection of the narcissistic world of rich college kids and their inability to find a true connection of friendship or love is superbly executed. But unlike the other famous Ellis adaptation American Psycho (who coincidentally features Sean older brother, Patrick Bateman), this story isn't filled with the black humour or brutal murders that made us nervously enjoy the ride of Bateman's self discovery.

There's just no getting away with the fact that the drug college story is old and overdone. However, you can't help but appreciate how each great performance is juxtaposed within a heavy experimentation of split-screen editing, fast rewinding and voiceovers that take a brave leap to doing something fresh and unconventional within each scene. And it is on this note, which makes this film exciting for Kikizo to watch.

Transistor Sister
Film Critic, Kikizo Movies