Roger Avary
Le Regole dell'Attrazione

THE REVIEW

Photography? I don't know what it means, forgive me. Spin-Off? Neither... Mmh, it doesn't seem appropriate to get technical, so I'll just talk to you about the movie.

Everything happens in a college and the story revolves around three characters.

Sean Bateman, played by James Van Der Beek. A dealer, a vampire of the night, a devourer of others' emotions (as well as any type of drug), adrenaline-thirsty, a disastrous financial situation, creditors "wholesalers" breathing down his neck, a very original, rough personality, but deep down a good guy.

Lauren Hyde, played by Shannyn Sossamon. A dreamer, a girl who believes in love, a scholar, someone who watches photos of hideous skin lesions caused by venereal diseases to dissuade herself from wanting to go to parties, yet always ends up being dragged by her roommate (a never-so-slutty Jessica Biel!). Her being a dreamer makes her too open and therefore vulnerable, another beautiful person though, an Amelie.

Paul Denton, played by Ian Somerhalder. A gay, extremely sensitive and intelligent, who encounters many difficulties to "catch" at parties, being practically "alone". Nonetheless, he knows how to have fun too. He becomes even more sensitive when he falls in love with Sean. The soundtracks that accompany him are amusing.

Roger Avary (who in his youth worked at a video store in Los Angeles with Quentin Tarantino, also co-writer of Pulp Fiction), wants to show us how easy it is to "pick up" at a college party, but how hard it becomes when even a pinch of emotion is involved. Okay, there are lots of sex scenes, a college, but I can assure you it's neither American Pie nor a Porky's, the story is serious and extremely realistic. The film is very light, not because it's stupid or superficial, but because it's well accompanied by very "twisted" and thus entertaining breaks. Acting level is more than good.

Ah, I almost forgot, earlier I mentioned the spin-off because one of the protagonists, Sean Bateman, is actually the younger brother of Patrick Bateman, the protagonist of "American Psycho". One last thing, the actor who plays Sean (James V.D.B.), it's him, it's really him, yes, it's Dawson, yes the one from Dawson's Creek!

Ah, one more last thing, Professor Lawson will be your spiritual guide, you will learn many things from him.

"...nobody knows anyone..."