The Rules of Attraction.

[out_there]

Man, that movie is like pulling teeth. Seriously, I must have stopped the tape about ten times and seriously considered not watching the end of it. As it was, since I'd paid for it I kept watching, but the ending was just as disconnected, disappointing and disheartening as the rest of the film.

The plot, such as it is, is basically held together by sex and drugs. The cinematic effects of playing scenes backwards just annoyed me, and I if I ever visualise James Van Der Beek having sex again I may have to swear off men for life.*

It did draw my attention to Ian Somerhalden (sp?), who has incredible eyes (as opposed to Van Der Beek who's eyes are creepily empty and soulless for the entire film). All through the film I just wanted to shake Paul (Ian's character) and tell him to stop going after straight boys because they'll just break his heart. I wasn't too pleased to be proved right.

However, there was a scene I absolutely loved. Watching two college aged guys dancing, in their boxer shorts, on a king sized bed to George Micheal's Faith? Too adorable for words!

* Mind you, considering my sex life, I doubt that will make a difference to anyone but me.

Comments

[baggers.livejournal.com]

You didn't like it??? But but but!

My love for that film is very irrational.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

What did you like about it? Seriously, I'm asking.

I mean, I liked Paul. Even if I spent most of the movie wanting to shake him re: straight boys. However, considering the only other out boys we see in the film are screaming drama queens who make me want to just punch them (and was very impressed that Paul didn't), I can see how he doesn't have a lot of dating choice. *sigh*

[baggers.livejournal.com]

Ya know, I couldn't even tell you wha I liked about it. Like I said my love was irrational. It just appealed to my sense of intermingleness in life. I know people like just about everyone in that movie, and I spent the whole time sitting there going "yeah, that's so true".

I'm a big fan of creative film making processes, and the whole backwards thing was very cool.

And if I remember correctly I had a hard on for the music through the whole thing.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Whereas me? I'm sitting there thinking that if I knew people like this, I wouldn't bother to socialise. They're not worth knowing.

I'm just really picky, and a bit of an introvert, so I don't hang around people like that. If I found out that I had friends that self-centered, deluded, selfish, manipulative and disrespectful, I'd back away from them pretty quickly.

[dammitcarl.livejournal.com]

for me, the beek's soulless eyes totally worked for sean's asshole character. (fun fact: he's the younger brother of 'american psycho's patrick bateman)

ian (somerhalder, btw) was way to pretty to be my paul (i loved the book first), but, dude, i wouldn't kick him out of bed.

it's a really hard book to adapt. each person gets their own point of view in tiny one scene vignettes and it's all about perception. did sean ask paul out for quesadillas or ask him to go buy a case of beer? (if you can't tell, i highly recommend the book *g*) i went into the movie with very low expectations, but i was pleased with what they did manage to pull off.

and, yes, it was me who wrote 'roa' slash. but it's just a ficletty thing *g*. i guess it would be nice (http://variety.illuminatedtext.com/jessica/fiction/guessitwould.html): paul/richard, r, richard gets back after dark

[out-there.livejournal.com]

and, yes, it was me who wrote 'roa' slash. but it's just a ficletty thing *g*.

Hee! Yes, I just read it before you commented. Very nice, I must say. A great combination of how intriguing the Richard/Paul dynamic was, and the lack of promise/future that it seemed to have. As annoying as Richard was at dinner, the bed dancing scene will forever endear him to me.

ian (somerhalder, btw)

Hey, only one letter wrong. Yay me!

Well, I've got to say that the Beek was highly convincing as his character, and it worked well, but the character was still rather freaky.

If Paul was meant to be less attractive, it would work better, I think. As it was, I was staring at the screen and wondering why Paul seems to have trouble with guys when he looks like that.

All the same, are the characters more likable in the book? I honestly only felt for Paul, and he was almost as selfish and deluded as the rest of them.

[dammitcarl.livejournal.com]

Very nice, I must say. A great combination of how intriguing the Richard/Paul dynamic was, and the lack of promise/future that it seemed to have.

thank you. i love the hints of their past, actually, in the book. they have that great love/hate ex-boyfriend thing goin' on.

All the same, are the characters more likable in the book?

not more likable, no. that's not the point of bret easton ellis' books, really. they're supposed to be fucked up. but you'll love paul even more.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... At the moment, I'm avoiding characters I don't like. For some reason, these days I just don't have the same affection for those characters taht would really bug me in real life.

I mean, I still root for the villians when the heroes are irritating (case in point, The Count of Monte Cristo. I liked the villian, but by the end, I liked the hero more...). A few years ago, I was highly fond of the bastard characters and they'd be my favourite. these days it's the sympathetic ones that get me.

*shruggs* I dunno, I'm just more picky about faves these days, I guess. I mean, it's even in SV. I'm more a Lex gal than a Clark gal, but still, there are times when I just want to growl and shake some maturity into Lex... *sigh*

Possibly, I just need more sleep. There is that to consider.