I didn't think it possible, but the movie (Rules of Attraction) was absolutely 1000% worse than I thought it would be. I laughed all of twice. While all of the female characters were "hot young things" the guys were all dorky looking with (of course) the exception of the gay male character. It was visually and narratively offensive, the characters were total caricatures of vacuus "youth" and with lines like "She's probably back at her boyfriend's place swallowing his DNA" I physically shuddered. It simultaneously made me want to see "Cruel Intentions" again and punch the director square in the face for committing such Gen Exit cliche schlock to film. And, it verged on soft-core porn at least 25 times. Basically, if you took MTV's "Undressed," and inserted some low-rent dialogue, that would be this film.
The worse part is trying to explain all this to my male friends who though they recognize the BIG bad mysogynistic stuff (rape, wife beating, etc.) they tend to miss the subtleties of what women find acceptable as a viewing audience, and thus I have to explain over and over why I don't like to watch date rape scenes (this film has a real doozy in the first five minutes), or why I tend to feel personally affronted by films about kidnapping/torturing women. Recently, this has come up when I have to explain why I don't want to see the new French film "Irreversible" which features not only a brutal murder scene, but a nine-minute female anal-rape scene. WHY IS THIS HARD TO UNDERSTAND?? I try to remain calm and explain: 1. I am a woman. 2. As a woman, such an event could happen to me. 3. While understanding the artistic integrity of the film and the message it is conveying, i never in a million years want to see a NINE MINUTE anal rape scene. Ever. 4. This does not mean I cannnot separate art from reality. 5. I am a woman. To put it bluntly, if male rape happened as frequently in films as female rape the theaters would be empty.
Okay, I'm almost done. In closing, I would like to add, what in the hell is wrong with Bret Easton Ellis (he wrote Rules of Attraction)? I "get" Less Than Zero and the whole debaucherous youth in the '80s vibe, but come on Mr. BlueBlood with Feelings, must we all have to wallow in your self-pity and insights? Is/was he the male Elizabeth Wurtzel?
Now I'm done.
I want my gossip! - 2005-08-17
Goodbye, BGT! - 2005-08-08
hell hath no fury like a awriting workshop - 2005-08-01
My Love Don't Cost a Thing - 2005-07-14
Kiss My Grits! - 2005-07-06
