The Rules of Attraction

 

The Rules of Attraction

Director ~ Roger Avary

Writers ~ Bret Easton Ellis, Roger Avary

2002, USA, Germany

Stars ~ James Van Der Beek, Ian Somerhalder, Shannyn Sossamon

The fractured stream-of-consciousness ensemble nature is perhaps makes this the film to capture the truest sense of Brett Easton Ellis’ style, with the superficiality of the characters made compelling by aesthetic and panache. The venality; the assholeness; the privilege. At the time, Viktor’s hi-speed European trip segment was a blast of something new (and like the credits of ‘Enter the Void’ or ‘Seven’, now assimilated into everyday narrative techniques), but the rewind affectation is utilised with a confidence that says this should be thrown in with the pool with the likes of Nicolas Winding Refn and Gaspar Noé. Certainly, the Reversing Time trick is used with elegance during the opening credits and still raises goosebumps. The TOMANDANDY score and needle-drops, the wandering selfishness and loneliness, the influence of the film’s disaffection and sly nihilism over American High School cinema is probably underestimated. This and ‘The Breakfast Club’ have a lot to answer for. 

 

The cast are having a great time, going against the shallow wholesome grain that made their reputations (the Fred Savage cameo being my favourite), and are all thrilling to watch. It still retains an edginess with its formal play and character narcissism. The nadir and lack of thought comes from its date rape scene that is played with a shock-jock attitude and without any consequences or more than a flippant acknowledgement from the victim. Similarly, the suicide doesn’t have any repercussions. But the apathy is the point. Even littering an empty bottle in the corridor is a tell to the lack of caring or consideration that pervades. And of course, all this is why detractors will hate it. Much of this is the youthful affectation of “cool” and rock’n’roll posturing and one might even argue that there is a hint of growing up, of true self-reflection come the ending. Just about.

A sort of ‘Kids’ for the privileged, but Avery isn’t interested in delivering any tacked-on moral message, just leaving his protagonists baffled by themselves with no one getting what they want.