Rules of Attraction

Starring: Ian Somerhalder, James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Jessica Biel, Thomas Ian Nicholas

Directed by: Roger Avary

RS: 3of 4 Stars

2002 Drama

A perverse and sickly delightful treat. Set at a small liberal-arts college, Roger Avary's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' second novel ruthlessly examines the vampire lives of a bunch of spoiled and unhappy hedonists. Young, beautiful and hopeless, Avary's characters fuck everyone except the person they want and feel little but their own animal urges. (Not only do you see leading man James Van Der Beek jerk off, you also get to watch him take a long, sweet crap.) And when love does rear its head, it doesn't stand a chance amid all the glamorous, kinky numbness -- not to mention the rape, suicides and drugs.

WILL DANA
(March 6, 2003)