Many
critics have dismissed the year 2000 as the worst year in cinema since the advent
of talkies. Though this is certainly an exaggeration--the new century has been
marked by way too many films that followed tired formulas and played it too safe.
Enter Requiem For A Dream. It's not my favorite, but Darren Aronofsky has fashioned
what I feel is far and away the best film I've seen this year. If you see it,
you'll understand what I mean. Requiem For a Dream is an unflinching, bleak, and
highly innovative look into the dark world of addiction. I'd have to say that
it is the best anti-drug picture that I've ever seen. If your looking to prevent
someone you know from dabbling in drug use, take them to see this movie.
Based
on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr. (he also co-wrote the screenplay with Aronofsky)
Requiem features Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans as a circle
of friends who will do anything to get their next fix of heroin. For Leto, this
includes stealing from his loving mother in a tour de force by Ellen Burstyn.
It also seems that Burstyn has problems of her own. Because of an eating disorder,
she soon finds herself hooked on diet pills.
Aronofsky
(who also made the brilliant Pi) isn't interested in a straight forward narrative.
Requiem for a Dream unfolds in a blurry haze, as it's characters slowly get sucked
into hell. It should also be noted that this isn't an uplifting film with sugar
coating. This is a stark, unblinking look at an ugly lifestyle that is a reality
for many people. There are no easy answers, and no swift resolutions. Just a situation
that presents itself with shocking honesty.
Requiem
for a Dream features a stellar cast but none of the performances are quite as
bold as the one given by Burstyn. As a lonely woman who has great love for her
child, Burstyn manages to bury herself so deep in this part, that you will forget
its her. This is a very unglamorous and sympathetic role, and Burstyn nails it
with every bit of power she can muster. As a result, I really feel this is the
performance that she will be remembered for (even surpassing her brilliant work
in The Exorcist).
I
wouldn't call Requiem for a Dream a source of entertainment. It may not be the
type of film that you will want to see time and time again, but that's what makes
this film experience so incredible. I've seen thousands upon thousands of films
throughout my life, and very few have offered moments that made me flinch and
turn my head from the screen. Requiem for a Dream is such a picture. In this film
there is no light at the end of the tunnel and audience members will surely walk
out of the theater feeling sick to their stomach. It gets to a point where Requiem
is one unsettling shock after another. Never, however, does it feature a shock
that is merely there to disgust the audience. Everything that happens in this
movie happens for a reason, and that's what sets Aronofsky apart from film-makers
like Todd Solendz (Welcome to the Dollhouse) and P.T. Anderson (Magnolia). He
creates moments that move the story along. You never question it, you just except
it for what it is, warts and all.
Requiem
for Dream isn't a movie about heroin--it's a film about addiction in general.
Drugs, television, food etc. It also could be considered a horror film in the
purist sense of the word. It certainly scared the hell out of me. With Requiem
for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky has created the most daring, and effective movie
of the year. A masterpiece that will no doubt put him into the big time.
