Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6583 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-08-25
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Less Than Zero is adapted from the dreary, pointless late-80s novel by literary poseur Bret Easton Ellis, which focused on listless, shiftless, drug-sniffing, sex-swapping, dead-end California teens with too much money and time on their hands--though the movie is not nearly as interesting as that. This is mostly due to the ridiculously cleaned-up script and lifeless direction, which whitewashes the baser depravity and replaces it with perversion-lite and fashion shows. It doesn't help that director Marek Kanievska is saddled with Brat Pack lesser (make that least) lights Andrew McCarthy and Jami Gertz. The only things that lift this film above the muck are the performances by James Spader as a particularly heinous drug dealer and Robert Downey Jr as a rich-kid addict with no self-control. --Marshall Fine

Special Features
16:9 Wide Screen
English
Region 2

Synopsis
Friendship is central to these characters as they try to find their way in the fast lane on the fastest track of all - the disengaged, super affluent, young Beverly Hills lifestyle. Based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel.

Customer Reviews

Horribly Realistic
I only saw this film the other day so watching it out of era context may have been strange but actually, no, it is still very relevant. The excellent acting of RDJ and James Spader made for uncomfortable watching, especially knowing now what was to come for RDJ in his personal life. The relationships between the three main characters was also well portrayed.

Not a brilliant film...
I haven't read the book so I won't pretend to understand that aspect. However, the film itself is not amazing - it's style is very 1980s. The one thing that does shine, however, is Robert Downey Jr's performance. Perhaps it is haunting because of his future indescretions. But never the less it is a great performance. A must for Downey fans.

Genuine 80s
I felt the young cast was actually not badly chosen, Andrew McCarthy as the college boy possibly following his families footsteps, Jamie Gertz portraying an insecure girl and Robert Downey Jr as a guy who went on the wrong path going downhill by the minute. The vulnerability is genuine and for example with their (especially rich) parents being either widowed or divorced or else, it is believable how these kids develop post school.
I liked the film, but I can imagine a bigger potential with the book. Though Downey and Spader are definitely worth watching.

However there were two things bugging me about the film.
After 5 minutes plot the film moves on "6 months later", which I find given the circumstances and story unrealistic. These rather dramatic developments are unrealistic to happen only '6' months after graduation, it should have been a year to make a difference. A few months is just so naff, sorry. So I watched the film a second time, just pretending to myself it would be a year later, and things made more sense.
Secondly the party/clubbing scenes - were the dancing people out of rhythm, was the post-dubbing just bad or what was going on? And why would one hear tapping dancing feet? Any club would have played loud music so one could not really get this sound effect. This really distracted me and just did not convince me.