Rules of Attraction

[life_boy]

I didn't like this film very much at all.  I felt it was about as deep as the Carrot Top commentary that accompanies the DVD.  That isn't to say it wasn't well made.  I think it was expertly edited and filmed and it had some nice musical choices and some good performances (nothing spectacular).  To me, I think Roger Avery cared more about his shot set-ups than he did about any of his characters.  I don't know, maybe I missed the point or maybe the point was to be shallow.

I'd like to hear what people think about it.  I know there's people who like it and I'd like to hear your reasons (maybe it'll give a little insight into it that I might have missed).

[©brad]

I don't think you missed anything. The Rules of Attraction was a muddled mess. Poorly written, uninvolving characters, laughable editing techniques, a 'cool' super-fast montage of a trip in Europe that serves no purpose whatsoever. blah.

[Cecil]

To me, I think Roger Avery cared more about his shot set-ups than he did about any of his characters.  

that may be true. i think this is the kind of film expected from a guy fresh out of film school (since its so "stylized"). but i think thats what happens when you dont make  a movie for like 8 years.

maybe the point was to be shallow.

yes thats what the point was. and to get through with its "point" the film alienated many many moviegoers. maybe this was the result of bad writing (afterall, kubrick did such wonders with clockwork, even if the character is a monster, you still fall victim to his charm). or maybe because it tries to be "realistic" in its showing of college kids: maybe if it was set in the future, in a "now depraved world" it wouldve been easier to swallow.

[Duck Sauce]

Its not what I would call a good movie but I really liked it. I fell victim to the MTV style and just let myself have fun. I thought it was pretty funny.

[Rudie Obias]

i didn't care too much for this movie even though i wanted, so badly for, it to be good.  this movie is another example of style over substance which is always a bad thing.  good films = good writing.  i will probably rent this movie again and give it another chance.  some of the MTV style editing was pretty cool like the "my trip to europe" montage.  i really liked that.  and besides, shannyn sossamon is really fuckin' hot!!

[Ernie]

Yeah, this was the worst movie that I saw in 2002 frankly. I can't really say much about it that hasn't already been said. It tries to hard to be hip and edgy, it's just sickening to watch. It's almost laughable how hard it tries to be controversial when all the rewinding effects start in and all the trick shots invade the screen.

It's like a poor, shallow, prejudice, misogynist, arrogant man's A Clockwork Orange. That's what I think about it, call me fucking crazy. It's A Clockwork Orange without the heart and charm and poignancy and humor and....I could go on but I don't think I have to.

[BonBon85]

I don't think this movie would have gotten all of the Clockwork Orange comparisons if it hadn't been for the trailer. The trailer was an extension of what ebeaman said. They pretty much did the Colockwork trailer but slowed it down so all the words could be clearly read by any moron. And at first I didn't mind the backwards thing (like during the credits) but then it just kept going and going. The split screen coming into a single screen thing was a cool idea, but kind of pointless. I also enjoyed the trip to Europe sequence at first, but then it seemed like it was never going to end. I agree that it was style and little substance.

[Cecil]

oh well. i guess im the only moron that liked it  8)

but didnt anyone find it funny? even just a little bit?

[BonBon85]

It seemed like it would be really funny to read. Like when Sean says "I only slept with her cause I'm in love with you" the delivery just ruined it for me. Actually seeing the the nasty stuff acted out made it seem like it would be funnier in the book.

[life_boy]

The Carrot top commentary is almost funny if you stay up late enough.  It might help if you drink too.

[Ghostboy]

I was really disappointed by it, but there are some parts I really like. Mainly the suicide sequence, which is beautifully done. The backwards stuff got annoying after the opening sequence, but it was really cool how the music worked in both directions. And there is some stuff in it that makes me laugh. But there are also so many pointless, over the top detours that any impact the story might have had gets muddled. And the scene with Faye Dunaway and Swoozie Kurtz and 'Dick' was really damn annoying.

[Pwaybloe]

I liked ROA, and that's due mostly to my love for the book.  The author writes in surreal overtones and creates ambiguous situations that makes filming hard to do.  Although I think Oliver Stone has the best shot at making one of the novels mostly from his surreal style in his movies.

On the other hand, I still think it would be extremely difficult to convey the same situation that BEE wrote on paper to be shown on film.

[©brad]

Beaman that's a cool avatar. Where is that picture from? Would love to hear what those two had to say to eachother...

[Ernie]

Beaman that's a cool avatar. Where is that picture from? Would love to hear what those two had to say to eachother...

Oh, thank you. I think it's pretty cool to see them together too. I added the names on photoshop, I got the picture from a really cool Wes Anderson site that any fan should definitely check out...

//www.wesanderson.org

Here's the little article that went with it....

When I first started hearing about Spike Jonze, it was through these pictures in magazines that showed him jumping off of hotel roofs into swimming pools. Apparently he did a nationwide tour. Then I saw some of his films and I thought, maybe the same personality trait that makes you want to jump off of buildings somehow relates to the movies he's done," said filmmaker and DGA member Wes Anderson (Rushmore). Anderson moderated a Q&A with DGA director member Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) after a screening of his newest film, Adaptation, at the DGA in Los Angeles.

Anderson asked Jonze about his very unique visual style, which was honed making dozens of skateboard videos in his late teens and music videos in his 20s, particularly his work with the Beastie Boys.

"With the two movies I've done, it's been about what's appropriate visually for the story and the ideas behind the story, whereas with music video, the idea is the visuals. We did a music video, for example, with an L.A. hip-hop group, and had them learn the song backward. They learned the lyrics phonetically backwards, then we filmed them walking backward and then we reversed the film, and had all these images sort of popping up off the ground."

Anderson also pointed out Jonze's signature of mixing comedy, irony and tragedy in his films. Jonze gave part of the credit to his two-time screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman. "Charlie's writing is so amazing and so complex that it's easy for me as a filmmaker to find all those different elements: the comedy, the tragedy, the irony. For example, the Chris Cooper character in Adaptation is sort of this goofy, comic character up until a tragic event, and then he becomes much deeper and much more real. So I can't really take credit for those elements being my signature, as much as a signature of my collaborations with Charlie."

Jonze also emphasized the importance of casting well. "It's tremendously helpful to have people like Chris Cooper, Meryl Streep and Nic Cage in your film. When we met Chris, we met this very thoughtful, kind, deep person whereas his character is this sort of swaggering, boisterous guy. We cast Chris because of his depth as a person, and that depth helped bring this wild man to life. And Meryl and Nic share those same qualities as well, and are nothing like their characters, but if you have intelligent actors who have lived life and gained a lot of wisdom, they're going to bring that to work with them every day, and one of the biggest parts of my job is to find those people."

Anderson concluded the questions by asking Jonze how his experience acting in David O. Russell's Three Kings in 1999 helped shape him as a filmmaker. "We shot that after John Malkovich and before Adaptation, and it really helped me as a director. If nothing else, it made me sympathetic to what an idiot an actor can feel like and being sensitive to that. I think it's very easy for a director who's never acted to take that for granted, because all you see is the actor going up there, saying his or her lines, talking with you about the part, or not and unless you've been on the other side, it's a lot more difficult to talk about those things. Almost every set I've been on, I've been able to learn something, but on that movie, I really had a front row seat to see what a director goes through."

That's so cool. Sounds like they might be friends or something.

Macguffin better watch out. I think I just may be getting the hang of this article thing.  8)

[Xixax]

Yes, wesanderson.org is an excellent site. Their webmaster allowed us to put a link to Xixax from his site! I haven't checked lately to see if it was up yet or not. Nice guy though.