The Rules of Attraction (2002)

Directed and written by: Roger Avary 

Based on a novel by: Bret Easton Ellis

The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.

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The Rules of Attraction is definitely an interesting movie. One of the most interesting things about it was that my whole view of the movie changed after I had seen it and I saw on IMDb it was based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Everything weird about this movie suddenly made way more sense when you know it's written by the same guy who wrote Less Than Zero and American Psycho. Not that I'm an expert, I've only read American Psycho but also I've never managed to finish that novel. Also helped when I actually remembered ho Roger Avary is. 

But knowing the minds behind the movie doesn't help me like it any more. 

I started watching this movie only because of Clifton Collins Jr and the fact that I haven't seen him enough - only in one TV Show and one movie, where he only has a small role. Since he was there for, what, three scenes, I didn't exactly get what I wanted out of this movie, and it didn't manage to surprise me positively. Ultimately there was a certain to this movie that I found interesting, something that reminds me of few of my favourite movies about people as old (or young) as these characters. 

However that was fleeting since most of the movie seemed to be annoying relationship, sex and romance drama that I didn't actually give a shit about. And still when the movie's summaries talk about a love triangle, I feel like it wasn't even about that. That had so little to do with everything else that was going on. I can't say if the novel is long or not, but I feel there is too much packed into this movie.

I liked many details about this movie. The soundtrack was good, the inner monologues were interesting, the cinematography... well it honestly made me think Clifton Collins Jr was going to jump through the screen and kill me, also I never knew I'd see James Van Der Beek's O-face that close... But the entirety just felt fake artsy and like a really weird mess. When you know who's behind it, it kind of explains that. It makes more sense, but it doesn't make it better

I don't know if there's a certain group of people I'd recommend this to. Fans of Bret Easton Ellis have probably already seen it, and there's a chance they don't like this adaptation. But if you decide to watch it however, huge content warnings for rape and suicide.

☆☆☆☆

4 / 10