Directed by Roger Avary ’’The Rules of Attraction’’ is one of the worst movies of 2002 and there have been a couple.
The movie stars James Van Der Beek from ’’Dawson’s Creek’’ as Sean Bateman, a drug dealing slanking student who basically by his own words is a ’’social vampire’’ someone who leeches of others, and sinks his fangs to those naive and weak enough around him. The best example is near the beginning where Sean is telling us through a couple of brief flashbacks about the pathetic situations he has been involved in. He then seeks to forgot about his problems like some individuals by consuming himself with alcohol and then finding a cheap girl to sleep with.
His prayers get answered when he meets a young blonde who is obviously a little drunk as well. Anyhow fast forward 5 minutes and then we are introduced to a whole slew of pathetic characters. There is the homosexual character of Paul (Ian Somerhalder) who basically likes to sleep with any boys around him. I doubt think gays would have liked this character either. I have seen in many films vile heterosexual characters but dare I say it, Paul is the first vile homosexual character Ive seen in film (another good reason that the movie shouldn’t have been made let alone a novel)
Supposedly this horrible movie was taken from a novel by Bret Easton Ellis and I could only shudder to think how bad the book is if the movie of this calibur is taken from a novel. In fact looking at another site it doesn’t quite know how to qualify the movie. It has the movie itself listed as a Comedy/Drama/Romance/Thriller? lol
Back to the movie, we see a couple of the stupid situations Mr. Bateman is in. Apparently he has a drug pimp (some weak little 17 yr old white boy) who think he is a big shot because he carries a gun. Anyhow, this pimp wants money from Sean (apparently they have some sort of partnership going where this guy gets his own cut of the drug money).
Sean can’t pay the money but he comes with a way to get it by swindling a couple of rich preppies who want to get high....lol
Then there comes this sick twist in the film, Paul sexually loves Sean and Sean is interested in this girl Lauren Hynde (Shannyn Sossamon) supposedly because she is pure and sweet (which is not what I heard in the novel).
Anyhow, Sean Bateman well to put in a blunt is real nilist, he likes to turn everything into crap plain and simple. The movie itself takes one direction (to sicken us with one hideous character after the next and shows their selfish stupid actions) and pretty does until the very end. Speaking of which, the ending itself is written on the wall halfway, it’s not surprising, it’s a sad ending to a sad vile film.
’’The Rules of Attraction’’ also has done nothing for the cast either, James Beek hasn’t done a movie in 2 yrs and none of the other actors except maybe Kate Bosworth who has a short role as Kelly (friend of Lauren) has gone anywhere.
The only good thing that I think comes from watching such a stupid movie as this, is that it shows that even in 2002 American directors still seek to make incredibly bad movies hoping that audiences will dig them, they won’t and I didn’t dig this movie at all.
Another horrible movie with James Van Der Beek which started a couple of years ago with his weak movie ’’Varsity Blues’’.
I did get the blues watching this movie (pun intended). Van Der Beek is just not a good actor at all, all he has is good looks but not much acting depth.
So stay away from this movie. Dont fork any money into buying it, but if you still want to see how bad it is rent it.