The Rules of Attraction stars: James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Kip Pardue, Ian Somerhalder, Kate Bosworth, and Jessica Biel. This Film is  a dark and satirical comedy set at a liberal arts College in 1980’s New Hampshire.

The Film primarily focuses on the three college students who rarely attend class and who find themsevles in a love triangle: Sean, Lauren, and Paul.  The story is told from various characters who are rowdy and promiscious, which all takes place at the Camden College, a liberal arts school off the east coast of the United States.  Meet Sean Bateman a twenty-one year old student from a wealthy family. He is very  mingled and a heavy substance abuser, he is also a drug dealer under the employment of Rupert Guest. He becomes romantically involved with Lauren, a relationship he considers to be true love. It is also implied that Sean is bisexual, as he apparently becomes involved in a sexual relationship with Paul Denton. However whether this is real or simply Paul’s imagination is left ambiguous. Sean is very bitter, cynical, prone to self-loathing, and somewhat suicidal. Meet Lauren she’s a painter and poet. She’s completly in  love with her boyfriend  Victor who left Camden an headed to Europe. She is often depressed and very emotional. She is a  senior at Camden college. At the beginning of the story it is revealed that Lauren lost her virginity at a party during her freshman year at Camden where she got so intoxicated  she passed out  and was raped by two boys while unconsicious. She becomes romantically involved with Sean Bateman even though she holds contempt  and considers the relationship as something to simply pass the time before Victor returns. She was also in a relationship with Paul before. Meet Paul a young bisexual  man who used to date Lauren. He’s extremely attracted to Sean and claims that in bed Sean is wild , yet these thoroughly described accounts are entirely absent in Sean’s mind. Paul is highly intelligent an passioniate but his relationship with his mother , Eve , is complex. Although Paul is descibed as bisexual, he appears to have a clear preference of males and females.

I found it very interesting how the film was directed. The film seemed to be inreverse. An example would be to take the way the film started with Lauren at “the end of the world Party” and the way the credits rolled backwords starting with the disclaimer and ending with the cast. Another example would be when it showed the characters Lauren and Sean getting ready for a morning class on a Saturday. The screen was split into two,showing how each character got ready for the class.

I found it strange how the character Lauren dresses, all covered up with her skirts down to her ankles. But maybe that is suppose to symbolize her innonence. Although how innoncent can you be if you still do so many drugs. An example from the film would be  when Lauren went to her Saturday morning class that had been cancelled and smoked her teacher’s joint off his desk while he  was sleeping. Another example would be when she was using drugs in her room with her roommate.

This was a very strange movie…although I love  the inreverse and the two-sided screen direction…I did not care for the way the film ended. I suppose that’s how real life is though but, at least I got to see my love Ian somerhalder in a superfunny roll. I did like the movie overall but, I would love a sequel but,of course that isn’t going to happen. I do feel this is a film that should be seen.  I think that it is one of those’s films that shows the roughs of life. :)