The Rules of Attraction

Starring: James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Soussamon, Jessica Biel, Ian Somerhalder, Kate Bosworth, Jay Baruchel, Clifton Collins, Jr., Thomas Ian Nicholas, Faye Dunaway, Eric Stoltz, Fred Savage
Directed by: Roger Avary
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
2002

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A look at relationships and the damage we do to each other during our college days.

Review:

Tim: The Rules of Attraction is a difficult movie to review. Even after seeing it twice, several years apart, I'm still torn on how I feel about it. It is certainly a film that inverts our expectations. This is a movie that certainly earns its "R" rating, and is not afraid to show the darker side of college life. Despite the fact that I didn't care much for this movie, it does deserve some credit for its unflinching portrayal of college life.

To be blunt, this movie just depresses me. It depicts college students as self-serving, sex-crazed, oftentimes horrible people. Perhaps that portrayal is accurate- most people do look back at their college selves with some regret. However, most people also gloss over the bad parts, focusing instead on the happy memories. This movie pushes those happy parts aside and reminds us of our flaws and our failures while we were trying to learn to stand on our own two feet as adults. That's not a lot of fun, but I suppose it is important.

The cast is actually pretty incredible. I'm shocked at how many good actors they got involved in this film. The only downside is that they don't all get enough screen time. In the lead role is probably James Van Der Beek. I applaud him for branching out and playing such an unlikable character. While he is smart enough to give his character a softer side, so we don't completely hate him, he is very often that guy many people hated in college (either that, or you can see some of yourself in him). He is a jerk, but doesn't quite realize that. I was surprised at how graphic and unflinching his portrayal was. He's quite good in the film. Shannyn Sossamon is fairly good as well. I felt less connected to her character, but she also typifies many college students. Her experiences are very often painful to watch, but they represent the collegiate experiences of many.

Jessica Biel also gives a surprisingly risque performance (note how the film casts "pure" actors and actresses in these unexpected roles). She doesn't have a whole lot to do besides show graphic drug use, stupid college behavior, and generally act slutty. Ian Somerhalder, though, gives an incredible performance. He is a charming gay student, and tackles this role with zest and energy. He felt so full of life on screen, and it's amazing to watch him in this role. He might have given the best performance of the film. Kate Bosworth and Jay Baruchel don't have much to do. I loved Clifton Collins, Jr. in a bit of a mentally-unstable role. Some of his scenes got a bit annoying, but he really brought that character to life. I also loved seeing Faye Dunaway here, but she has almost nothing to do, and felt like a waste. Also, look for Fred Savage in a pretty hilarious little role. All in all, while not every actor is used to their full potential, this movie has an amazing cast.

The Rules of Attraction takes great pains to be very different than your typical sex comedy. It is really about some much deeper themes- things like the things we do to ourselves and our own bodies, the mistakes we make when sex is on our mind, whether we can ever really know another person, and so much more. It is very much a contemplative movie about fate and free will, and whether we have the ability to change our own destiny. It's about feeling unseen and unloved, and the lengths people will go to in order to see a connection with someone else. Reading over all that, it looks like I'm saying this movie is incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite get there. While the film is about all these themes, they are buried under a layer of the characters and how there really isn't a character in the film we can care about. Almost all of the characters act selfishly, hurt others, do ignorant things, or more. This is a film that felt determined to portray our college-going selves in the worst possible light. While the flaws and mistakes people make are vividly on display here (and I'm not suggesting this isn't accurate), there is a lot of good in people, too, and I felt like that was missing here.

While there is certainly a good deal to like about The Rules of Attraction, I felt the inability of the film to hit me on an emotional level (despite some emotional scenes) was really a major issue. I suppose I did feel a bit of nostalgia, regret, and disgust at our human behavior, but those aren't the only emotions I should have felt. I left the movie feeling unconnected to any of the characters or the events that took place on screen. Now, while I didn't like the movie a whole lot, I recognize there are some powerful moments, and I wouldn't immediately discount this film. I just think the more gratuitous scenes serve to only alienate the audience, not bring them in. I thought this was an okay movie, but not much more than that.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: American Psycho, Summer Catch