Rating: Summary: the good and the bad Review: i enjoyed this movie in the theater...ok, maybe i didn't so much "enjoy" it as "appreciate" it. i thought it was a stylish and occasionally compelling look at a bunch of mostly unsympathetic characters with some brilliant moments here and there.i looked forward to the dvd release, and i was excited to hear about the bounty of commentary tracks on the disc -- commentaries are one of my favorite parts of dvd's. i was disappointed to find out that the "surprise guest" commentary track was from carrot top -- he's never been a favorite of mine, and his track is actually fairly boring...it's just him seemingly watching the movie for the first time and making occasional comments. the other commentaries are more interesting, but i found them a bit unsettling. for a movie that was nominated for a GLAAD media award there is a surprising amount of homophobia, particularly from ian somerhalder. he talks repeatedly about how uncomfortable he was with the scenes involving male-male contact. it really gets to the point where you just want to tell him "ok, ian, we get it...you're not gay." another commentator talks about how ian is as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside, but that's certainly not the impression i get from him. that said, there is a lot of interesting information in the commentaries from other actors and technical experts. put together, the tracks give a good sense of relatively-low-budget movie production.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Flick Review: This movie is by far one of the most creatively writted, acted and editted that i've seen since American Beauty. Check it out.
Rating: Summary: Easily the worst movie I have ever seen! Review: You know most times I dont listen when people tell me a movie was horrible b/c I know I have different tastes, but I shoulda listened this time. The actors in the film who usely produce such great films and tv shows, severely dropped the ball here. The storyline was poorly developed and so were the characters which made the end of the movie to me be like "So what, who cares." Honestly if you wanna see a well acted and rebelious story, dont watch this film, its not even worth quenching your curiosity, PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS! Well lets change that if you are on an acid trip or something the movie might be interesting.
Rating: Summary: a million thumbs down Review: I only gave this movie one star because there wasn't an option for NEGATIVE 5 stars, but since I did give it one star that star goes to the pseudo 'special effects' (split screen, going backwards, speeding up) which is the only plus about the move. The rest of it tanked, big time. The plot was numb, the characters numb, the acting from some seemingly talented young hot stars was numb. Overall, this movie made my brain go numb. The voice overs were nauseating! Yeah all those things happen to teens in college, but they went a little overboard. It was really bad and I didn't realize it was a Sundance movie, otherwise I would have been a little more prepared. The only treat was looking at the cute gay guy named Paul. Shannon Sossamon was the only stand out 'performance' if there had to be one. DO NOT BUY OR RENT THIS MOVIE...!
Rating: Summary: Close in Spirit to The Novel Review: People who write bad reviews about this movie have obviously not read the book...or are not interested in stories of emotional adolescent entropy. While the movie has a few differences from the book it is the closest film adaptation to any of the Ellis catalogue. Set in what seems current day the story follows the 3 main characters and the major situations (from the novel) they fall into. The end of the movie was perfect as it captures the spirit and final lines of the book, and in many ways echoes real college life. Some people are selfish but truly believe they care, while others want to give but end up giving more than they are given, and others can't quite find the right person to give themselves too. Avary has done an admirable job and yes he uses film "gimmicks" but again I think they are appropriate and really capture the spirit of the novel.
Rating: Summary: Intoxicating to Say The Least Review: Accurate. Narcotic. Brooding. Genious. I had seen the movie at the theaters the week it came out and I knew as soon as it ended* it was probably the best movie I had seen since Fight Club- excluding maybe Bowling For Columbine. I guess given an open ended oppurtunity to talk about this movie I don't even know where to start. The first time I saw it I thought I was just romanced by the bevvy of special effects and new school directing techniques. However, it wasnt until the second or third time I saw the movie that I could really understand how great this film really was. THe acting is top shelf, or as good as you are going to get from the teenie bopper crowd. The cameos (the "Dick" character especially) and Eric Stolz are solid. And maybe Im crossing a boundary by saying it, but Rogery Avery could be on the heels of his former partner in Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino. The bottom line is, this movie is great, yet controversial. Even though all of my friends loved, I dont think it is for everyone. I would say it is for open minded teens and those who havent quiete forgotten what its like to be a confused youth. Others beware.
Rating: Summary: Queered up film school romp in a sleazy context Review: This film has a few shining virtues that make it worth 4 stars. While many critics deplore the use of film tricks (split-screen, handicam montage, reverse film, and others), movie-goers tend to enjoy them. I personally found myself really impressed by how the sound played to different moods forward and backward--GREAT JOB tomandandy! There are a few heavy-handed scenes that unsuccessfully develop the characters, but no scene is long and thus none of them are too annoying. The general plot was about as directed as a teenager's reasoning for their choice of major. Those are the negatives. What's left is a heap of scenes that--while not great filmmaking--are attractive in an "exotic car crash" kinda way. Its not a film about love, rather a film about misreading the signs around you. Very enjoyable, not for the squeamish. PS. The fashions of the eighties have never been filtered into a millenium favorable pallet this well..
Rating: Summary: Good, Dirty Fun Review: In very likeness to "Cruel Intentions", "Rules of Attraction" is not for everyone, but to those who do enjoy a taste of the seedy side of life, it become a cult-like guilty pleasure. It remains captivating by focusing less on plot (your run-of-the-mill love triangle) and more on content (sex, drugs, suicide, and art direction nearly as cool as Tarintino). It's a fun way to kill a few hours and to waste your I.Q. with surprisingly convincing stars like Jessica Biel and James Van Der Beek.
Rating: Summary: Disturbing, jaw dropping, and most of all.... REAL!!!! Review: This movie is a masterpiece. A piece of work that takes us deep inside of the lives of three very different college students. We are taken from party to party, from bedroom to the classroom, and getting plunged into college life. Some may be offended by the graphic nature of this movie. But why be offended?. I think that as a college student, that "The Rules of Attraction" hits our feelings and acts right on the nose. The feelings of love, hate, and most importanly, lust. Sean seems to have slept with half the student body and still feels the need to stay drunk all day. He has no idea what he wants out of college, but knows that he wants something. He keeps receieving love letters, which he believes are coming from someone he knows. These love letters tear his emotions apart, making him confused and start to change the way he has been living his life. Lauren wants to stay a virgin, but cant wait for her love Victor forever, who is away on a trip to Europe. She lives her life one moment at a time, snorting cocain with her roomate and looking through her book of vaginal STD's, to keep her from sleeping around. Paul is as gay as you can get, and just wants to be loved. He falls for Sean, hoping that someday Sean will "switch sides". He is tired of his boring nerdy, gay friends and wants more out of his life than just sex and drugs. This movie was filmed brilliantly. Every scene is a masterpiece. This is a really "in your face" movie, showing you as much as it can without it getting not rated. This is not only a movie about sex, drugs and alcohol, but about the feelings and actions or the college student. How they hide from what they really feel, and what becomes of their wrong actions. This is a movie for anyone that loved college or anyone that is just looking for a very well filmed movie. Dont miss this incredible flick.
Rating: Summary: Excellent!! Review: I just watched this movie last night, and I ahve to say..it was entertaining, amusing, and disturbing all at the same time. But, like any good movie...it should move you in some way...whether it's good or bad. I was very uncomfortable with many scenes and I laughed hard at others. I though each actor/actress gave a great performance, and it was good to see some of these clean cut TV actors branching out and taking risks. I know there is the dark satire side of this movie, and I enjoyed that. I like movies that push the limit like this one did. If your looking for some deep meaning in this flick - your not going to find it. If you want an intense character study, with really crazy situations..you have it with this. I liked the way the director used many camera tricks to tell the story - it was refreshing to see something like this done. As for the book - I did not read it and I probably won't - I think Brett Easton Ellis (...)!! But the movie is excellent. I compare it to "pulp Fiction" ( although not as good) in college setting. Check this flick out.
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