If Rules of Attraction is to be remembered, it will be remembered as a film with a barely veiled conservative agenda interwoven into a story line rife with sex and drug use. Think of Kids in an East Coast liberal arts college. Seen in this context, Rules of Attraction joins a host of movies containing envelope-pushing scenes of sex, violence or the obscene that belie their themes of family values, abstinence and, in some cases, religious fundamentalism.

Perhaps the most famous film included in this cinematic sub-set is The Exorcist. Although denounced by many religious leaders for its supposed blasphemy and satanic elements, the film was in large part the product of the screenwriter, William Peter Blatty, who was a conservative Catholic. Blatty, utilized dramatic religious imagery and raw dialogue in an effort to shock the American people away from liberal tolerance, back into the arms of the church. The similarities between The Rules of Attraction and The Exorcist end there, however.

Adapted from Brett Easton Ellis’ book of the same name by writer/director Roger Avary, The Rules of Attraction employs various manipulations of time as a foundation for its look at both the relationships and illicit activities undertaken by the students of Camden College. In particular, Avary runs scenes in reverse and revisits important narrative moments from different visual and personal perspectives.

When first introduced, these impressive techniques draw the viewer into the action. Because these tools are repeated ad nauseam, however, they ultimately turn into obtrusive gimmicks as opposed to story-telling aids. Avary chooses visual flair at the cost of narrative strength, leaving only the messages that drinking is bad, drugs are worse and promiscuity will result in lasting shame.

It must be stated that out of a mostly forgettable cast, James Van Der Beek gives a surprisingly good performance as the soulless Sean Bateman. For all the flaws of this movie, when Van Der Beek leers at the camera, the film, for a few brief moments, succeeds spectacularly in convincing the audience that these kids are definitely not all right. If this scene was truly emblematic of the picture, Avary's work might have then had a cultural impact on the scale of The Exorcist. Sadly, this is not the case.

peter beck

yes, it's true:

James Van Der Beek’s character, Sean Bateman, is the brother of Patrick Bateman, the lead character in American Psycho.