Requiem for a Dream (B or 3/4 stars)
I'd have a hard time believing that anyone would want to try drugs after watching 'Requiem for a Dream', directed by Darren Aronofsky. It is about the dreary lives of Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), a lonely, TV-obsessed widow, her misanthropic son Harry (Jared Leto), his pretty, but lost girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly), & his sketchy drug dealer Tyrone (Marlon Wayans). After learning that she'll participate on her favorite TV game show, Sara tries to shed some pounds so she can fit in her old red dress; but she becomes hooked on diet pills. Meanwhile, Harry & Marion become hooked on cocaine & heroine. We bare witness as the hopes & dreams of these 4 individuals goes spiraling out of control as a result of their disastrous addictions. This movie is a hard one to shake.
The film takes it's time introducing us to these 4 Brooklyn-based characters; establishing the dimensions to their personalities & their relationships. Harry once seemed to be a promising young man, but his income of late includes stealing; stealing so that he can pay for his drug habit. His best buddy Tyrone is his provider, and shares many of the same 'pipe dream' aspirations. Marion is a gorgeous girl, but none of that matters when you're hooked on as many drugs (if not more so) as your own dealer & boyfriend. Harry's mom, Sara, is addicted to both television & the new 'uppers' she's taking to lose some weight. Upon learning that a marketing company may get her a spot in the audience (only the audience) of a live TV show, she decides to go all out with her pills.
But 10 lbs. is not enough. 15 go, 20, 30 ... this woman was not large to begin with. Things seem 'ok' for a while when Harry visits his mother more often. Harry buys her a new TV. He's making $$ on drugs. And Sara's friends notice her new svelte figure. But unfortunately for these 4 people, the drugs slowly but surely take the place of everything - eating, drinking, sleeping, sex, hopes, dreams, & a will to live. The initial pleasure & comfort of drugs gives way to utter pain. Their quest for satisfaction in life leads to unshakeable disappointment. And watching them dissolve into moral, physical, & mental decay is drearily stunning.
'Requiem for a Dream' is an incredibly dark movie; probably one of darkest focusing on drug addiction, as well. Unrated, the movie has no qualms with profanity & full-on nudity. The film shows how lives can be completely wasted. None of these people had grandiose dreams; they just wanted some improvements (Harry to form a nest egg, Marion to start a dress business, Sara to lose weight). It shows that its users are not always bad people; just misguided.
The final 15 minutes or so of this film bears mentioning. In short, it's a hellish phantasmagoria of startling movements & images. Consisting of 100's of fast edits, this segment shows the final disintegration of the 4 main characters as they plunge, plunge, plunge into the pit of darkness (a brutal climax & denouement). The acting here is phenomenal. Jennifer Connelly is asked to go places she's never gone before as an actress; she bares it all (including a lesbian orgy scene). Jared Leto is an odd duck, and he imparts that well. And Ellen Burstyn is incredible. Our hearts absolutely break for her. And not only does she go through the wringer emotionally, but she has to degrade physically, as well. She's 100% deserving of an Oscar nomination (and possible win) with this daring performance.
I commend this movie, but I also fail to outright love it. It's nothing you'll want to see again for a long time {if ever}. It's not particularly entertaining; getting under your skin. And it's bleaker than bleak; almost self-consciously so. There's nothing fun about it. Educational? Perhaps. Some would even argue that the plot of this film has been 'done' before; adding nothing to the topic at hand. Well, original or not, despairing or not, it's a supremely acted, beautifully shot, powerful, intense, unrelenting piece of cinema that I will NEVER forget. Drugs are bad. Addiction is worse. I don't ever want to go down the path that these people do.
The film takes it's time introducing us to these 4 Brooklyn-based characters; establishing the dimensions to their personalities & their relationships. Harry once seemed to be a promising young man, but his income of late includes stealing; stealing so that he can pay for his drug habit. His best buddy Tyrone is his provider, and shares many of the same 'pipe dream' aspirations. Marion is a gorgeous girl, but none of that matters when you're hooked on as many drugs (if not more so) as your own dealer & boyfriend. Harry's mom, Sara, is addicted to both television & the new 'uppers' she's taking to lose some weight. Upon learning that a marketing company may get her a spot in the audience (only the audience) of a live TV show, she decides to go all out with her pills.
But 10 lbs. is not enough. 15 go, 20, 30 ... this woman was not large to begin with. Things seem 'ok' for a while when Harry visits his mother more often. Harry buys her a new TV. He's making $$ on drugs. And Sara's friends notice her new svelte figure. But unfortunately for these 4 people, the drugs slowly but surely take the place of everything - eating, drinking, sleeping, sex, hopes, dreams, & a will to live. The initial pleasure & comfort of drugs gives way to utter pain. Their quest for satisfaction in life leads to unshakeable disappointment. And watching them dissolve into moral, physical, & mental decay is drearily stunning.
'Requiem for a Dream' is an incredibly dark movie; probably one of darkest focusing on drug addiction, as well. Unrated, the movie has no qualms with profanity & full-on nudity. The film shows how lives can be completely wasted. None of these people had grandiose dreams; they just wanted some improvements (Harry to form a nest egg, Marion to start a dress business, Sara to lose weight). It shows that its users are not always bad people; just misguided.
The final 15 minutes or so of this film bears mentioning. In short, it's a hellish phantasmagoria of startling movements & images. Consisting of 100's of fast edits, this segment shows the final disintegration of the 4 main characters as they plunge, plunge, plunge into the pit of darkness (a brutal climax & denouement). The acting here is phenomenal. Jennifer Connelly is asked to go places she's never gone before as an actress; she bares it all (including a lesbian orgy scene). Jared Leto is an odd duck, and he imparts that well. And Ellen Burstyn is incredible. Our hearts absolutely break for her. And not only does she go through the wringer emotionally, but she has to degrade physically, as well. She's 100% deserving of an Oscar nomination (and possible win) with this daring performance.
I commend this movie, but I also fail to outright love it. It's nothing you'll want to see again for a long time {if ever}. It's not particularly entertaining; getting under your skin. And it's bleaker than bleak; almost self-consciously so. There's nothing fun about it. Educational? Perhaps. Some would even argue that the plot of this film has been 'done' before; adding nothing to the topic at hand. Well, original or not, despairing or not, it's a supremely acted, beautifully shot, powerful, intense, unrelenting piece of cinema that I will NEVER forget. Drugs are bad. Addiction is worse. I don't ever want to go down the path that these people do.