Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
The Pride of Orange County is back with a sneak peek at a movie I can't wait to see, Roger Avery's RULES OF ATTRACTION. I have an unnatural love of KILLING ZOE, and I have heard much about this upcoming "culture bomb" of his. Let's see what Jed The Hutt has to say about it after last night's sneak screening:
This is going launch some careers and redefine others. Hopefully.
Roger Avary's adaptation of Bret Ellis' Rules Of Attraction is structured seemingly in opposition to the concept of a plot-driven narrative, and gleefully so. These are characters so interesting, so grotesque, and so set in a daily routine that is apart from most of an audience's that plot is rightfully demoted. Roughly, though, is a love triangle revolving around the party scene at a small east-coast liberal arts college. Lauren is technically a virgin, saving the only un-fucked orifice she has left for perfect Victor, away in Europe for the fall term. Paul is Lauren's ex. He's moved to semi-seducing closeted jocks-this yields mixed results. His newest pursuit is Sean, who is supposedly also bisexual. Sean is the campus pharmacist who believes Lauren is in love with him from the sexy love letters he is sent anonymously. Three deeply flawed people have idealized near-strangers in the hopes that loving them and being loved in return will fix all of their respective problems. Hilarity, masturbation, pornography, and about a dozen truly, truly unholy acts ensue, though in the interest of disclosure a few elements of the novel and screenplay (according to Harry's script review here) have been abbreviated or scuttled; no one wakes up with cock-in-ass. Unfortunately.
There had been hints before Fight Club that Brad Pitt was disgusted by his pretty-boy image, and that there was a dynamic and powerful actor waiting to surface. With Mr. Van Der Beek, aside from a turn in Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, no one really knows the extent of this actors' wish to distance himself from the role of Dawson Leery.
They Will.
Oh God, They Will.
Brother of the infamous Patrick, never seen nor mentioned, Sean Bateman is a thoroughly rotten, self-absorbed human being, and James brings the role to life effortlessly. This is the moment when Dawson stops being fanboy-bane and becomes the actor who all the writers in the chat rooms suddenly start writing lead roles in their scripts for. Close-ups are key to this film, key to Bateman: We see Sean Happy, Angry, Funny, Sad, Vengeful, Mournful, Defecating, Ejaculating, and Evil Sean. The deviancy of Sean unlike Patrick is not imagined but all too real; Sean isn't insane enough to commit unthinkable acts-Sean is perfectly sane and capable of committing unthinkable acts. He is both more accessible and more terrifying as a result. Jessica Biel's fuck-queen roommate Laura similarly defiles that actors' squeaky-clean WB image. Shannyn Sossamon's Lauren engages in the most mortifying sexual act ever put to film in the first reel; yet, of the three leads, she receives the most sympathy from an audience. Shannyn's performance combines warmth, caring, and black, black, black-hearted immorality; she's the most interesting new actor I know. Ian Somerhalder's Paul is a note-perfect spoiled rich kid suffering through unrequited gay love, rounding out the love triangle. Frankly, Paul deserved to be seen getting more sex; he's a hoot of a comic performer and the cries and moans of the frat boy crowd upon seeing man-love are simply musical, and beg an encore. There's even a glimmer of sorrow for Paul as he doggedly pursues Sean without compromising his asshole status; that Ian kid's got moxy.
Clifton Collins always brings a lot to a supporting role, and he doesn't fail as Rupert, the hillbilly drug dealer, Sean's Supplier. Bitterly resentful of the college crowd, Rupert's boiling-under-the-surface temper provides the film with a kind of humorous tension. Kip Pardue, previously of … Driven… almost steals the show from Van Der Beek as the legendary Victor. He owns the film's most audacious montage, and good luck to him.
Roger Avary BOLDLY directs Rules Of Attraction. Channeling Kubrick if anyone (making that Clockwork-y trailer appropriate,) The technical devices in the film are inspired. This is, undoubtedly, a singular vision. This is ten times the film Killing Zoë, a decent film in it's own right, was.
Gripes? Sure. Rupert is funny and important to establishing the sort of person Sean is in his first scene, and beyond that is kind of superfluous. DITCH THE HOSPITAL. Find more for Eric Stoltz to do or just drop it-preferably the former. My Biggest suggestion would be to not be so stingy with the voice-over narration from Paul Lauren & Sean. Narration is by default a screenwriter's last line of defense-Bob McKee and Syd Mead drill it into our heads never to use it. Funny, though, that most of the really great films feature large chunks of Voice-over. The opening interior monologues are so sharp and fun and insightful-they're sorely missed throughout the rest of the film. Don't be afraid of them. The ending of the film is going to be somewhat polarizing of audiences, but I've grown to like it as the impact (or lack thereof) has set in.
Rules Of Attraction is a puerile delight for men and women, gay and straight. Girls and Boys and Girls And Girls And Boys And Boys frantically cavort on-and-off-screen drinking, snorting, and fucking anything they can get their hands/noses/genitals on, but what for? Not content in just supplying disturbing images, the film imprints upon viewers a sense of futility stemming from the characters' inability to change anything in their lives. With any luck, Lion's Gate will embrace the NC-17 that Rules is destined for. Sooner or later the system will acknowledge a market for films for adults. Rules of Attraction has the potential to be that successful crossover. We'll See in September.
jed, Representin' OC up in this.
