Genres

Visitors Review

edwjoolee 2012-05-25 17:37:29

That name.

Donnie Darko is dark, strange and flawed. The film plays more like anepisode of The X-Files or The Outer Limits than anything else, with aninteresting premise and story that is needlessly drawn out to full filmlength. Therefore, we get characters that are nominal to the story appearingonly to add more screen time to the film. For instance, Drew Barrymore's andPatrick Swayze's characters are so irrelevant to the plot, their big nameattraction only serves to deter from rather than help the plot of the film. Donnie Darko, played well by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a high school kid sufferingfrom auditory and visual hallucinations, somnambulism, indifference, teenageangst, etc. In other words, he's a mess. He also has an invisible friendnamed Frank, a twisted-looking rabbit, who tells him at the beginning of thefilm that he has certain amount of days and time left before the world willend. He also commands Donnie to do certain deeds before that time, all ofthem involving illegal activities that I won't describe here. And then wehave all the rest of the characters who seemingly exist only to provide as"fillers" in the film , neither helping nor adding anything of value to thecore of the story. That's a shame, because the story itself is suspenseful, ominous andengaging. It's not a big-budget film, and I also liked that aspect of it.Still, Donnie Darko is not a bad film. 7/10.

Clint 2012-05-24 23:22:20

Bizarre tale of a boy who encounters an irregularity in time.

Twisted look at a boy who's imaginary friend may have answer to futureevents. Jake Gyllenhaal brilliantly plays a confused teenager facinghallucinations that lead him to lash out against society. The plot getseven more bizarre when a jet engine from a passenger airliner fallsthroughthe roof of the family house and no one knows where it came from. Donniesets out to understand where his hallucinations are sending him. On thewayhe develops a romantic relationship with a school friend. The events ofthefilm suggest things are leading to impending doom. Definite reminiscentofthe late eighties (time the film takes place) and fully disturbing but nonthe less very entertaining. This film is entrancing from the get go.Scaryand thoroughly unpredictable.

krumski 2012-05-22 02:20:27

The film that made me wish Spielberg would go back to the suburbs . . .

The suburbs were the setting for three of Steven Spielberg's most popularachievements - "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "E.T.: TheExtra-Terrestrial" and "Poltergeist" - and I don't think it's exactlycoincidence. As a storyteller, Spielberg drew strength and imagination fromhis suburban setting, and he was a wry and fair chronicler of it. He knewthese people and their environs; he could perceive the inherentlimitations,but he also believed in the fundamental decency of most of its denizens,andalso recognized what a powerful base of operations the suburban hearthsidecould be (even one that was, as in "E.T." somewhat less than perfect). Howdifferent from every other single movie maker who delves into suburbia.From"American Beauty" to "Edward Scissorhands" , from David Lynch's twistedtales of paranoia to the gothic surrealism of "Donnie Darko", the suburbsare continually a place of danger and trash - a place where the soul iscrushed and life is perpetually dark and soulless (underneath of course theplacid and reassuring surface). It's time, I think, to send a little letterto Hollywood: "Enough with this stuff already!" Either find a new take onthe subject, or at least lighten up and let some joy into the proceedings.The suburbs don't *all* suck, after all.At first, this film looked like it might be going in that benevolentdirection. It did a nice job painting a fairly normal suburban family andenvironment without pencilling in either too much plasticity (MaryMcDonnell's mother veers in that direction, but her portrayal keeps pullingback from matriarchal harpy into a more rounded, human performance) ormoodiness. But this idyll breaks down rather quickly, and we're once againinto the Suburbs As Hell (teenage angst sub-genre). And you know what? Onceyou've been down that road a couple dozen times, there's really not toomuchmore to say (or see).So Richard Kelly, the writer and director, attempts to sustain our interestwith a plot that, like "the Sixth Sense", infuses creepiness and notions ofhorror and/or insanity before resolving all with a "surprise" ending that -supposedly - sheds new light upon all that has gone before (and is meantthemake the audience say, "Aw - coooooooool, man!"). As you can no doubt tell,I don't think much of the device, or of the movie, and here'swhy:It makes no sense! String it all together, work it out backwards andforwards, and the film still has too many loose ends, too many things thatjust do not cohere. One could possibly make a plea for relativism, orambiguity, but even allowing for that the film really doesn't holdtogether.For example, much is made of the firing of the English teacher played byDrew Barrymore; in the principal's office when it happens, she breaks downand bemoans anyone ever "reaching" the kids. But from what we've seen ofherin class, she clearly maligns her students and acts like a supreme bitch,sowhy should we care. If she was onscreen for more than five minutes it mightmake sense; instead, it's just bad writing. Yet another of Donnie'steachersis held up as the shrewish, self-righteous type who sees things in utterblack and white terms; we're not meant to like her, and we don't - but towhat ultimate effect? A motivational speaker in the film is eventuallyrevealed as someone with a dark secret, but that too is passed over and notreally dealt with in any but the most cosmetic way. Amidst all this,DonnieDarko seems to be going quietly insane.All of this might have some sort of point, in a better movie. If I had toguess, that point would be: the school Administration dispensessoul-crushing pablum, like so much mental novocaine. Is this what's eatingDonnie throughout the movie? It's hard to say, since the filmmaker decideshe doesn't want to deal with any of it head-on, but rather plays around onan arty concept of the world being refracted into all sorts of weird shapesthrough Donnie's peculiar "condition" (the exact nature of which is notrevealed until the end - if there, even!). Problem is, as he plays aroundwith the "freakiness" of what Donnie is going through, he loses sight ofhowto portray good old fashioned reality (exaggerations and caricaturesabound), leaving the audience adrift on a sea of madness on the one hand,and cartoonishness on the other. Not a pleasant dichotomy.Once the movie finally reveals its hand, a new spin is put on things, ofcourse. But, reflecting upon everything which went before in the wake ofthefinal twist, I could see no reason for the tone the director took, norcouldI truly see any kind of resolution. My fear is that the director *thinks*he's made sense of things at the eleventh hour . . . but in point of fact,he's cleared up nothing. It's possible to muse that the film is wanting tobe some kind of Generation Y version of "It's A Wonderful Life," butnothingof any import really happens or is revealed, so even that association isbogus.So many ideas in this movie. So many ideas that were almost good. Thereisn't a good movie inside this mess, trying to get out, but there couldhavebeen. Stylistically, at least, it was very intriguing and well handled -Kelly is a natural director, with an imaginative eye for *shooting* and*displaying* the suburban landscape (almost as good as Spielberg). But theguy clearly needs to hire a writer next time. And if he's trying to makescience fiction (which is what this film seems to be leaning toward), ascience fiction writer wouldn't hurt.Which reminds me: hey, Steven, you still available?! Come on back from your21st century musings - the suburbs could really use youagain!

2012-05-21 17:56:02

If you've seen the original, don't be afraid to watch this version

This review is from: Donnie Darko (Director's Cut) (Amazon Instant Video) This has been one of my top ten favorites since the first time I saw it. When I hold a movie in high regard, I try to wait as long as possible between viewings so I can experience the story with the same awe - and often more - than the first time.I'm not in any way knocking the fact that many people watch their favorites quite often. My husband and I are especially inclined to do that with comedies full of great one-liners that make us laugh by simply quoting something (Christpher Guest movies are a good example). But personally, I need to be in the right frame of mind - with very little distraction - when I watch an intense film that requires attention to detail.It's been a little while since I last saw Donnie Darko, and I was very hesitant tonight to watch the director's cut because I didn't want to risk having the story spoiled somehow. I'm glad I decided to because it didn't change a thing for me. But I'm also very thankful that I've seen the original several times because it was a thrill to "get it" ... and even more so each time I watched it. If the only version that had ever been released was the director's cut, I wouldn't have a different view about the film. No offense intended to anyone, but if you've watched both versions and are still at a total loss as to what happened, this movie is definitely not for you. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! If you're like me and you do not have every detail of the theatrical version burned to memory, the difference between it and the director's cut was not monumental and didn't change my perception in any way. Now I'm compelled to watch the original again so I can compare the two. For those who haven't seen the film: the acting is superb, the story is very compelling, and it's probably not at all what you were expecting to see. Keep an open mind.

hermit-23 2012-05-21 13:34:36

some mental illness is not illness, but deeper perception

The main character sees more deeply what is going on around him, and aswell has certain experiences that would in some circumstances be calledhallucinations, but which in reality are spontaneous (untrained)spiritual perceptions (he is naturally clairvoyant). But the culture inwhich he lives has no ideas, concepts or words which allow him to makesense of what he sees. He is also surrounded by a chaos of points ofview and emotional expression, because the characters with which heinteracts are themselves confused as well. There is no coherence in thestory of the meaning of existence among the many characters, but rathereverywhere endless conflict. Thus, he feels deeply alone, yet everyeffort at communication fails because while we all seem to share thesame language, we don't see the world the same way. This makes himangry and frustrated. He looks for some solid ground in the world, andcan't find it.The world is a incoherent house of living mirrors (the others withwhich he lives), and ultimately he must leave it, for it has no placefor either his intelligence or his spiritual sensitivity. The film is abeautiful representation of this common experience of today'sadolescent, and while Donnie can't survive it (and others do), thedepiction here of growing up in the modern world is a fine bit of art -a visual poem of the loss, and wonder the young experience while livingin a civilization that is dying into chaos on its way to a newbecoming. right in front of us.

RIK-22 2012-05-21 01:03:48

Very unusual and original film

First all very impressed with the pace and style of the film, very originaland very hard to predict what genre of film this was. This is what got mehooked. The first few minutes of the film, you think this is going to besome corny teenage angst film or maybe some moral family drama. Yet you seevery quickly this is far from a healthy normal family. The film continueslike this and keeps us guessing, we are never really sure if his visions arereal or in fact just figments of his imagination.Obviously the story is really about the discussions that took place betweenthe science teacher and Donnie. If you were able to see your destiny rightin front of you could you change it. What would happen if you did asregardless of the change this would still be your destiny. Anyway as we find out Donnie gets pieces of future events through visitsfrom someone in a large rabbit costume and strangely he is influenced bythese visions to perform various actions, which presumably take him to hiseventually destiny. At the end of the film he realises this and decidesthat given the chance again, he would not allow the events to take place asthey had and so allows his own death to take place.Well that's my take on it. There's still some unanswered questions; theengine from the plane still comes from the future. The first scene of thefilm hints that maybe this has happened before and this is the second timearound the loop. Also why was it the dead boy who coaxed him out of thehouse if indeed his destiny was to die in the accident or maybe itwasn't.Anyway I dislike most Hollywood films, as they are so predictable,join-the-dots film making. This is very original and every time you thinkyou've put it in the box , it breaks out of it. Wonderful realism in theschool scene's, no silly over-acting, realistic reactions from pupils andteachers.For me a genuinely original and interesting film that showed me as an oldbitter, generally disappointed film watcher, that even I can get caught upin the magic once in a while.9/10

Movies8586 2012-05-12 15:20:24

A dark, original, and imaginative masterpiece!

From the creation of up-and-coming director/writer Richard Kelly, DONNIEDARKO is the brilliantly bizarre story of a young man who is far fromnormal.Donald Darko (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled high school with anintelligent, but cursed, mind. He is depressed, on medication, and likes tovoice his opinions without any regrets. One night, he is visited by amonstrous, 6-foot tall, rabbit named Frank. Frank has come to Donnie, froman unknown dimension, to deliver a terrifying message: 'In 28 days, theworld will end...'.What follows is an absolutely incredible movie that, unfortunately, did notget very much notice or publicity. DARKO is truly one of the best films Ihave seen in a VERY long time. Kelly has filled his story to the top withtwists, turns, and enough dazzling images to last a lifetime.Jake Gyllenhaal (OCTOBER SKY) is extraordinary as the title role. You cantell, just by observing his performance, that he is aware of what acting isreally made of. He is backed by a stellar ensemble cast, including JenaMalone (STEPMOM), Drew Barrymore (RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS), Mary McDonnell(DANCES WITH WOLVES), Patrick Swayze (GHOST), Noah Wyle (TVs "ER"), and evenreal-life sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal (HOMEGROWN)!In conclusion, if you are ready to take a psychological roller-coaster rideinto a dark universe, look no further than DONNIE DARKO!Rating: A+!

dcs84 2012-05-12 05:08:44

Philosophical Snake Oil

Why is it that as a society, the high brow amongst us become giddy withexcitement when they discover something they don't understand, butbelieve that meaning within that something must exist.Donnie Darko is a film that throws out metaphors, symbolism,iconography, and semiotics like a garage sale. Everything is justthrown onto trestle tables for the neighborhood to pick over,take whatthey want, and discard the rest.The major flaw is that the film was written and directed by the sameindividual. It strikes me that Richard Kelly should have handed thereigns to the adults. Everything had an off kilter cartoony element toit, not quite of our world. It reminded me a little of a Steinbecknovel. Where all the characters are stereotypical constructs of anauthor who has limited practical knowledge of the world and its baseelements. The film seems to be a pastiche of "The seventh sign", "Thesixth Sense", and "American Beauty". What is most galling about films like "Donnie Darko" is that theaudience are so dizzy, disoriented, and torqued up that they arefrightened witless to admit that they didn't follow many plot points atall. And they are then too unsure of themselves to blame a poor script,or 'happenstance' plot elements for their confusion. The patheticwitless fools try even harder to find 'hidden' meaning and hide behindthe mantra "the author has left the film open to individualinterpretation". Well I can interpret it for you, it goes somethinglike this "Waffle, waffle, waffle, baffle, red herring, happenstance,twist, waffle, bible, baffle, amateur psychology, half baked scientificclaptrap read at doctors waiting room from a dog-earred copy of theAmerican Science Monitor, break in the films time continuum, waffle,more bible, simplistic cultural elements like smurfs, lifestyle gurus,the end".What if Jackson Pollocks "Blue Poles" was simply a case of an unskilledman flicking drops of paint on a canvas and then attaching method andmeaning. What if Bjork really is just an eccentric, borderline manicdepressive who has no technical skill and hides behind weirdness andintrigue. And what if "Donnie Darko" is just a rambling anecdote ofamateur theatrics, psychology, and philosophy hoping to hoodwinkanother town into buying its philosophical snake oil.

icDEADppl 2012-05-11 16:05:39

Movie requires First Aid!

This movie is filming excellence! I won't bother going into everyaspect that I thought was excellent, since I thought all of it was.Acting was superb. Direction, impeccable. Plot, eerie andthought-provoking. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who doesn't justwant to sit back and be entertained. You have to sit FORWARD and beentertained with this film.I gave this movie 10/10. Here's why:It kept me guessing, because it was weird. However, it wasn't justweird for the sake of being weird. It's just that I believe this movieneeds some First Aid to get you through it. Watch this film one timewithout any aid. If you've watched it before, watch it one more time.Then, go to the message boards on this movie, here at IMDb.com and readseveral of the posts on it. Read 'em all and follow the links providedby several of the posters there and study the theories projected bythis film. Then, watch Donnie Darko again. It's amazing. With that bitof help, the movie is literally a whole other dimension unto itself.One of the greatest of all time, for me.

Ashley Williams 2012-05-10 17:12:59

Thoughts...

There are movies that you watch and walk away from entertained. Youfeel good about the movie, glad you spent the money to see. There thosethat you wish you could get at lest the time you spent in the theaterback. Then there are those that change your life forever. They changethe way you look at things. The world feels different when your donewatching it. For me Fight Club was one of those movies. The Matrix(first one, first time) was one of those movies. This is one of thosemovies. I can't recommend this movie enough. Forget cult classic, thiswill become a classic, period.This movie made me forget that he did Domino. This movie was waybetter. The big name cameo's don't overshadow the lesser known talentsthrough the film. Donnie is a fully developed 3 dimensional character.It's rare to find these days. I honestly didn't think I would like thismovie when my friend handed me a copy. I'm glad he did.

bronwyn_aka_bron 2012-05-05 09:51:08

loved it

i saw Donnie Darko for the first time 2 nights ago. i really enjoyedit. lots of people have been talking about it recently and its poppedup everywhere lately. i think its because some people have beenstudying it in their class. anyway, i really enjoyed it. i think JakeGyllenhaal is fantastic. yes, i am in love. he does a fantastic job atplaying Donnie. i was very freaked out when he is at the cinema withGretchen and he talks to frank with the evil eyes! i also really likeJena Malone. she is popping up in movies i have seen recently and i ambeginning to like her. my perception of the film is that its all a bigdream, and just before we see the jet engine crash into Donnie's roomagain, we see shots of everyone waking up, so this is why i think it'sall a dream. but i have only seen the original version, not thedirectors cut, and i have heard from people that the directors cutmakes it a bit easier to understand. but leaving that alone i reallyliked the film. i find Donnie fascinating and i was upset when he diedin the end. but on the other hand, if it were a Hollywood ending whereeveryone lives happily ever after, i was have been disappointed.

regencygirl 2012-05-05 00:36:08

2001 A Space Odyssey

Again, this is 2 hours of my life I will never get back, just like whenI watched 2001 A Space Odyssey (the worst film in the ENTIRE history offilm). In the plainest terms... I just didn't get it. Maybe I'm stupid? Whoknows?I must admit that I am a girl who wears pink almost daily, lovesromance novels, and thinks my husband hung the moon.Maybe I'm just a brunette airhead? Too dumb to get this movie?But then why do I have a college degree?Don't bother with this movie if you're a princess, it's a waste oftime. Go to Bloomingdales instead. You be much happier you did. I knowI would have been!

Rick Ritenour 2012-05-02 09:59:06

Very pretentious and way over-hyped

It was recommended to me by a dozen people, so, going in I had highexpectations. I'll admit the film was decent enough for 1 hour and 20minutes. The plot was disjointed and meandering, with many1-dimensional characters, but Donnie Darko himself was a likablecharacter. Then, the last 20 or so minutes was an absolute shitstorm.It was as if the writers had thumbed through a book about time traveland decided to put it in the movie. There was nothing deep orprovocative about the sci-fi plot twist; it was just dumb. It was atthis point that I realized how pretentious this film was. The movietried so hard to be deep that it ended up falling flat. The unfortunatething about this is that, apparently, many people have mistaken theconvoluted plot for something more. The film was so confusing to themthat they just assumed it was deep. I originally watched the filmbecause it was recommended to me by people in my 11th grade honorsEnglish class, people who I considered intellectuals by some definitionof the word. But confusing isn't deep and something deep doesn't haveto be hard to understand.

cherpy_git 2012-05-01 20:16:47

Bluddy Genius

A great film, I really enjoyed it. The narrative is based around thelife of a mentally troubled teenager called Donnie and his inability tocome to terms with the problems and turmoil of the world around him. Ifelt this was a very engaging and clever plot as the film is trying tocommunicate the message of how hard it is to connect and understand thethoughts and feelings of teenagers today. This allowed me to relate tothe character of Donnie and enabled me to understand what he wasexperiencing. This gives the film a real personal feeling, which mademe feel like I was going through the exact same emotions as thecharacters, especially Donnie.The casting was superb. Jake Gyllenhal was faultless playing the roleof Donnie. He managed to capture the real essence of Donnie'snegativity towards life and his vulnerability to the outside world thathe doesn't understand. Recognised figures in the acting community suchas Noah Wyle, Patrick Swayze and Drew Barrymore put in distinctivelyesteemed performances to give the film an extra edge and separates itfrom other cult classics. The only downfall to this film is thecomplexity of the ending. Although it ties in with the films highlycomplicated and sometimes bamboozling storyline, the ending poses avery confusing finale to what is a great film. However, this may alsowork in the film's favour as it just adds to the mystery, provoking theaudience to want to watch again so they can try to come up with aconclusion to the elaborate finish. I personally love the ending.Though it can be perceive as sad, I thought it was the perfect mannerto finish off this thoroughly entertaining masterpiece. All in all,Donnie Darko is an overly elaborate, dark and yet ingenious film andone of the best I have ever seen. The characters are believable, thenarrative is captivating from start to finish and it leaves you withthat feeling of confusion, intrigue and desire to watch repeatedly thatmakes the film of the highest quality. Superb film.

sdrogue 2012-05-01 06:00:02

unhappy comments about plot (spoilers)

SPOILERS!!!I wanted to like this movie, really, and I went into it thinking "I wanttobe entertained" but then there were to many plot holes that made me think"hold on"...so the kid lives, and then all these "bad things" happen because of himliving, so many bad things that when he sees the chance, he goes back intime and kills himself...either he goes back in time willingly, or he justresigns himself to the fact hes going to die and these events are notgoingto happen...I think the story hinges on his statement that life cannot be boxed into"good vs. bad" or "fear vs. love"....since the events that happened afterhelived were actually "good" events or actually bad events that were onlycaused BY him being stupid..not just being alive.....1) kiddie porn king gets arrested by him...thats a good thing, would nothave happened if he had died...2) girlfriend gets killed..she would not have been there except he toldherto come along...3) teacher gets fired...would not have happened if he had not flooded theschool...4) Frank gets shot..again caused by Donnie being up there with hisGFfinally, the infamous casuality loop....engine drops and kills him,right..but the engine was from a plane a month in the future...meaningthatin a month from that point, 10/31 that plan will still fall over and stilldrop an engine again going back in time and again flattening donnie andstarting everything all over...meaning that the entire univerrse is caughtin a 30 day cycle...i did like the refrence to back to the future..that was slick and a way tobring the luddites in the crowd up to speed...editing, camera, lighting, were all good...would i watch it again, hell no, would i recommend it...yes...theres lotmore to a film than being pedantic about the story...cheersQ

vkisselman@rogers.com 2012-05-01 00:03:49

Great, Dark, Frightening

This movie is not like your av. movie.You actually have to think about this one. This is what i mostly likedaboutit. This is a great film, with the best plot i have seen in manyyears.The ideas are complex and entertaining, even scary at times.This movie really gives you the :shivers:, specialy if you watch it acoupleof times, so you can understand it better and better.Its a must see for all you intellectuals and just people who are tired ofthe averadge boring movies.

chrisweaver123 2012-04-29 16:04:03

I've just read a previous comment on here and have to say different.

I really enjoyed this film, it is well made and well filmed. It bringshomethe strange world of mental illness. The word 'Dark' springs to mind.Do yourself a favor and watch this film, you'll be impressed. Iwas.

FilmOtaku 2012-04-29 02:57:08

Not as impressive as the original

*This is a review of the Directors Cut*I've already reviewed the originally released cut of 'Donnie Darko' soI am not going to review the film again. Instead, I'll comment on thedifferences between the two versions; unfortunately most of thedifferences took away from the original film, which I think is trulyexcellent. I traveled two hours round-trip with several friends to see theDirectors Cut since it was not playing in Milwaukee at the time, andwhile I am glad that I saw it, I feel that the original is the superiorversion. There were many superfluous scenes in the new cut which didnot add to the film; rather I almost felt that they made the pacingfalter a bit. For example, the new scene between Donnie's parents inthe café – a completely unnecessary scene which did not add anythingrelevant to the story. There were a handful of scenes like this, aswell as some added dialogue that indeed added to the development ofsome characters, (Drew Barrymore's character, the teacher 'Karen' wasenhanced a bit) for some it just seemed silly (One of Donnie's bus stopfriends telling Cherita that he 'hopes she gets molested' turned himfrom just being an incidental character into being an incidentalcharacter who is a jackass.) Another major difference between the two films was the addition ofseveral special effects to the new cut. There were a lot of dream-likesequences (the file cabinets floating among the clouds ala ReneMagritte) and all of the stuff focusing on Donnie's eyeball,computer-ish codes, etc, that just did not work in my opinion. Also,some of the most subtle changes, soundtrack for example, weredisarming. The opening song was 'The Killing Moon' by Echo and theBunnymen in the original, which provided a great backdrop in theintroduction to Donnie, his environment and his family. Kelly used'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS in his directors cut. Certainly, a goodsong, but after using a perfect song originally, it is hard to get usedto an inferior replacement.Which is how I sum up my feelings about Kelly's directors cut ingeneral? Why mess with (near) perfection? 'Donnie Darko' is a fantasticfilm that was so thought-provoking it made some people run the otherway. Only those who were interested in something beyond the ordinarystayed to ponder and theorize its meaning, and still are to this day.Kelly's new cut does not enhance the film, rather, it made it ploddingand a little dumbed-down – two adjectives I never thought I wouldascribe to this film. See the directors cut to play 'spot the newstuff', but stick with the original.--Shel

farscape2 2012-04-25 00:15:28

wonderful

well what else could i say about this movie besides the fact that it's oneof the best ever to have been made. The Shawshank Redemption, Memento,FightClub, dark City, The Matrix and now there's Donnie Darko.... WOOH...simplywonderful...ONE TO WATCH i might say

pandaeyes42 2012-04-24 20:46:02

The most startling debut film since "Eraserhead".

I mentioned "Eraserhead" in my summary. "Donnie Darko",written anddirected by Richard Kelly, shares many similarities if not in style andapproach,then definitely in attitude.It is impossible to categorise this film simply in terms of genre.Thereis so much going on in "Donnie",whether it be part teen story/horrorfilm/science fiction, that it simply knows no bounds.To me, the most affecting aspect of "Donnie Darko" is the subtext aboutwho you can trust in the world. In that respect, the Director's Cutadded a great deal of depth and shade to its characters.However, Iprefer the original cut for its choices of music to underscore certainscenes, like Echo and the Bunnymen's "Killing Moon" playing over theopening sequence.The less I tell you about "Donnie Darko" before you see it, thebetter.All I will say is, see this movie with an open mind.In a worldwhere a significant amount of films look and sound the same, "DonnieDarko" stands as something truly unique.This is why I love this film.Also, talking to friends, I notice that people of 'a certain age' (i.e.late 20's/early 30's) seem to truly appreciate the film. I don't knowwhy, but the late 80's setting of the film seems to really manage tohit a nerve with some viewers.I cannot recommend this film highly enough. Looking forward to seeingwhat Richard Kelly does next in regards to writing and directing.