Review of The Rules of Attraction (2002) by Stuart K — 31 Mar 2010
Pulp Fiction and Beowulf co-writer Roger Avery took on American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis' 1987 novel about spoilt brattish teens in University. It's a dark and satirically amusing tale of America's youth gone haywire, and everyone else isn't much better.
If anything, it comes across as the closest thing to an Americanisation of the UK drama Skins. It focuses on 3 teens studying at an arts college in New Hampshire, they include Sean Bateman (James van der Beek), a drug dealer with shady stuff going on.
Lauren Hynde (Shannyn Sossamon), a virgin who Sean is in love with, and she has feelings for him too, and there's Paul Denton (Ian Somerhalder), Lauren's ex-boyfriend, who is bisexual, and has strong feelings for Sean, who rejects him.
Their lives intertwine throughout the college year, and they each have their own set of problems. It's a dark film, very well made and very well performed. It's freeform style of shooting is experimental but it works, and captures the essence of Ellis' book.
The film is nicely rounded off with appearances from Fred Savage, Paul Williams, Eric Stoltz, Jessica Biel, Kate Bosworth, Swoosie Kurtz and Faye Dunaway. Dark, graphic, but entertaining.
This review of The Rules of Attraction (2002) was written by Stuart K on 31 Mar 2010.
The Rules of Attraction has generally received mixed reviews.
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