5/5
A must-have DVD
by pm444 (Okemos, MI USA)
I missed this film in its theatrical release (apparently it received limited distribution), but since it requires at least two viewings, it's well-suited for DVD. It's difficult to describe the story or even characterize it by genre, which shows how original the film is. Simply put, it's about time travel, but it's about a lot more than that, too.
The acting is consistently outstanding, with a list of well-known names in the cast, along with less familiar ones. Jake Gyllenhaal gives an amazing performance that is so convincing, you forget that he is acting; he IS Donnie Darko. While the story is mainly told through his eyes, the other characters are surprisingly sympathetic as well. This is not an easy feat for a script to accomplish, especially when the viewer must focus so much attention on every event. It would have been easy to create a one-dimensional hero and a bunch of villains, but writer/director Richard Kelly doesn't take the easy way out.
Instead, we get a highly intelligent and challenging film that engages us as much as it baffles us, that injects enough humor to keep us from stress-overload, and most importantly, makes us want to watch it again and again, even after we know what's going on. In this sense, "Donnie Darko" succeeds where other films have fallen short: for example, I enjoyed the complexities of "Memento", but I was not able to identify or even care very much about any of the characters. The same was true of "The Usual Suspects". Both are excellent films, but I viewed both from a distance, more analytically than emotionally.
I did not view "Donnie Darko" from a distance. I was drawn into the world that it creates, and enjoyed it enough to return more than once. A brilliant first film from Richard Kelly, who has set a very high standard for himself.
The DVD does full justice to this fine movie. The video and audio are excellent, and the extra features are quite thorough. I particularly enjoyed the commentary by Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllenhaal, which I listened to the second time I watched the film. They do a great job of helping the viewer to connect the dots. They also include just enough of the usual "behind the scenes" banter to keep the commentary from becoming too academic.
This DVD would definitely be included in any "desert island" list that I would ever compile. Strongly recommended!
5/5
Remarkably original
by Charlotte Vale-Allen (CT USA)
Any form of media that makes you think has succeeded in what it set out to do.Donnie Darko is a film that succeeds on every conceivable level. The script is original and entirely unpredictable. There isn't a single bit of action or dialogue, not one frame that can be anticipated. The characters, too, are refreshingly well-conceived and highly unique. And it's a treat to see actors we know well (Drew Barrymore, who also produced, and Noah Wyle) stretch well beyond our usual expectations. There is great humor in this film as well as great sorrow. And, ultimately, it's impossible to say if the entire scenario takes place within the dreams of a brilliant but possibly schizophrenic young man or if, as he so desperately wishes, he has, through physics, managed to reverse time.
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a stunning performance as Donnie. Even his body language--incurving shoulders, questioning eyes, uncertain smiles--reveal a vast, searching intelligence. Mary McDonnell gives yet another in a roster of thoughtful portrayals--this time as the despairing mother of brilliant and troubled Donnie, simultaneously loving and hating him for being emotionally beyond her reach. And Jena Mallone is just wonderful, one of the truest, most authentic young actors around today.
This is filmmaking at its best--an adventure for the mind--not to be missed.
Most highly recommended.
4/5
"Donnie Darko" A Real Gem
by Robert Kaercher (Chicago, IL)
This movie was a very pleasant surprise.
When this was initially released in theaters, I didn't quite know what to make of the trailers. It appeared to be a movie about some kid haunted by a scary-looking giant bunny, sort of a demented "Harvey" as though directed by Alfred Hitchcock. I was intrigued. Unfortunately, I never got around to going to see it in a theater, so when I saw it at my local video store, I snatched it up, having very little idea of what to expect.
What I saw was a solidly entertaining, thought-provoking, unique and thoroughly original sci-fi time travel tale with very real and believable human conflict (rare for a science fiction flick). Jake Gyllenhaal (playing the film's title character)-an unusually gifted actor for his age who consistently demonstrates a sense of truthfulness about his work (unlike so many other young actors of his generation, who seem mostly to be more concerned with looking cool and hip than with honing their craft)-gives a great performance, and is sure to have a wonderful future ahead of him. Virtually the entire cast is an impressive veteran ensemble, all of whom deliver wonderful performances: Holmes Osborne and Mary McDonnell as Gyllenhaal's parents, alternately worried and amused by their son's eccentric behavior; Katharine Ross (yes THAT Katharine Ross, of such `60s classics as "The Graduate" and "Butch and Sundance," who has unfortunately been all too absent from films since that time) as Gyllenhaal's concerned psychiatrist; Noah Wyle and Drew Barrymore (also the film's executive producer) are perfect as two young liberally minded high school teachers, embattled by a hypersensitive school bureaucracy; and Rachel Winfree gives a flawless performance as a neurotic high school teacher who tries so desperately to teach her students the difference between "love" and "fear" on the "lifeline." Jena Malone as Gyllenhaal's love interest gives a very sensitive and well-crafted performance; she forces nothing, and like Gyllenhaal, she should also have quite a career ahead of her.
The most ingenious stroke of casting in this movie, however, is perennial `80s "Dirty Dancing" icon Patrick Swayze as a cheeseball motivational speaker (a la "Up With People"). Definitely his finest performance since "Road House" (har, har).
But the greatest kudos must go to writer-director Richard Kelly (not to be confused with "Ally McBeal" creator Richard E. Kelly). It is not easy to craft a sci-fi tale that actually has a believable and compelling element of genuine human drama (George Lucas' stunted and awkward dialogue in his most recent "Star Wars" epic and the forced, saccharine emotions of M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" spring to mind), but Kelly manages to pull it off. This movie is also part satire, too, offering relevant social commentary without being preachy or obvious.
This movie will surely go on to become a cult classic.
5/5
An Excellent Surprise
by Garrett Strantz (South Bend, Indiana United States)
As far as titles go Donnie Darko" is about as unassuming as they get. Go figure then that the movie is one of the more original, thought provoking contributions to cinema in recent memory.
What makes this film so engrossing is the effective balance that is achieved between the more technical aspects of the film and the story itself. This balance cannot be overlooked as there have been innumerable movies over the years with interesting ideas but poor execution, as well as the inverse. The Thirteenth Floor and Cameron Crowe's Ope... Vanilla Sky come to mind.
Technically, this movie is wonderful. The lighting, the camera work, the pacing, etc all fit the movie perfectly. Also, the use of music is done quite well as it adds to the mood of the picture and does not distract. The script is also a triumph, which is noteworthy given that the film does tend to ebb and flow, 'changing' from 80's teen flick, to horror, to dark comedy, and back again. The casting is spot on as well. Patrick Swayze finally has a career-defining role and Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect in the title role.
And then there's the story. At first glance, the plot could come off as a jumble of ideas tossed together, I suppose. But, the way the pieces fit together (and they really do) and the shear originality of it all make it work. Amazingly, "Donnie Darko" is one of the few modern movies that cannot be directly compared to something else, which is noteworthy in this era of big budget remakes and explosionfests that are supposed to pass as legitimate cinema. Sure, certain aspects of the movie may seem familiar, but whole of the movie is original.
If you like movies that require thought, attention, at least a second viewing, and an open mind, "Donnie Darko" would get my highest recommendation. And even if you prefer movies that require less work, ignore this and go rent Con Air (again).
5/5
Dysfunctional Scary-Bunny Fetish
by Little Old Me
Hollywood's steady downfall into high-priced visual theatrics and recycled storylines with wittless characters has done nothing good except reestablish my faith in the underdog. "Donnie Darko" in this case, is one of those underdogs - a completely morbid and fulfilling storyline, with dazzling presentation and a cast of amazing actors playing multi-layered characters.
The story revolves around the charismatic, wayward teenager, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal). This troubled teen is the black sheep of his middle-class family, already having trouble with law for stealing a car and attending psycho-therapy sessions to handle his sleepwalking. Only after a brief introduction into his life, does the movie immediately dive into the action - in a dream, Donnie is beckoned out of his house by an evil (almost satanic) looking man-sized bunny, Frank. Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days - the 28th day being Halloween. Back in reality, a jet-plane engine has fallen from the sky and crashed in Donnie's bedroom - Donnie survives because he had been sleepwalking. Frank becomes a regular figure in Donnie's dreams and delusions - coercing him to commit random acts of vandalism and arson. In the meantime, the world around Donnie Darko seems embedded with strange characters, mind-bending encounters and philosphical if not humorously poignant conversations. Among these are are Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze), the self-help guru, his highschool teachers: (Noah Wyle) - who is obsessed with the ideas of time travel - and (Drew Barrymore) who is disillusioned with the education system feeding into Jim Cunnigham , Grandma Death -a prophet of some sorts and Gretchen (Jena Malone), Donnie's new girlfriend and another troubled teen, who's mother is hiding out from an abusive ex-husband. As doomsday approaches, Donnie's visits from Frank the evil bunny become more frequent, as he points out the relivance of time travel in his visits into Donnie's psyche. Soon, Donnie realizes that many of his encounters with Frank, leave very real impacts on those around him. (Spoiler: For instance, Frank tells Donnie to burn down Jim Cunningham's house, that reveals a child pornography ring in his basement).
All events and characters lead Donnie down to his final day, where he realizes that certain events have to take place and some people must suffer in order for others to survive.
"Donnie Darko" is magnificant in keeping one's interest, keeping its audience in suspense and sometimes in laughter. Jake Gyllenhaal does a superb job of playing Donnie as a dark confused teenager in search of understanding and conscious, with the sexiness of Tobey Maguire but with a personality. The dynamics of family make this story seem very real and close to home, as we are not only drawn to the supernatural, but to the plight of Donnie's mother, who is desperate to guide and understand her son.
The basic story, visual effects and music are simple and play well off each other. However, the much greater story and concept is certainly hard to understand and up for interpretation. With time travel being a major theme, one might need to watch through the movie two or three times to finally have an idea of what actually happened in what order. The ending (no spoiler, sorry!) can leave one with the questions: what just happened?... What did he accomplish? But the movie has enough of an impact and plain entertainment value, that I doubt anyone will complain about watching it over again.
This movie is superb for a drinking games, Halloween parties or just sitting back and watching one stormy evening. If you haven't seen it yet - you're missing out. One day, film makers will try to imitate the magical properties that "Donnie Darko" has captured in about two hours.
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