6/4/02
One word. Wow. This is the second time I've seen this movie, and it ranks among my favorite movies I've ever seen. I'll try and not give away too much because you'd probably enjoy it better the less you know about it. Just take my word for it...it's really good.
Donnie Darko is one of those movies that it's laughable to categorize, I guess it would be a Sci-Fi-Comedy-Drama-Coming of age-80's period piece. It centers around (shockingly enough) Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhal), a teenager dealing with all the normal things teenage boys deal with: girls, high school, family, giant rabbits, the end of the world....wait a minute.... Ok, so not so normal. After not being killed by the jet engine that fell into his room because he'd been beckoned outside by a 6-foot tall rabbit named Frank (who tells him the world is going to end in a very specific number of days, hours, minutes and seconds) things begin to get a little weird. As the time before the end ticks away, Donnie gets a girlfriend, commits acts of vandalism (at Frank's suggestions/commands), talks to his shrink, gets suspended at school, and learns about time travel, just to name a few things.
The casting was suberb. I had never seen Jake Gyllenhal in anything before this, but as far as I'm concerned he's Donnie Darko. His facial expressions, ranging from evil smiles to confused anguish, are perfect. You really can really see him being scared and doubting his sanity as things unravel around him, yet still maintaining a certain uneasy calm. Mary McDonnell is great as his mother, who stoicly trys to do what's best for her son, but you can see her almost ready to crack just beneath the surface. Patrick Suayze is downright creepy as a cheesy motivational speaker.
This movie was the debut of Writer/Director Richard Kelly. For a first movie, it's quite impressive. Although at times it does have the feel of a first time script, that's part of the charm. It's filled with pop culture references and subtle gags, but it still manages to take itself quite seriously, which isn't easy considering the material.
Overall...ok...I already made it clear I love this movie. It manages to be funny, eerie, and touching all at the same time, as well as being a neat sci-fi flick. It can be a bit confusing, even after it's over, but that just made me want to watch it again.
Links- IMDB Entry
- The Official Website. Now this thing is weird. It provides some insight into some of the more confusing parts of the movie (occasional spoilers) but you have to wade through it's compelling multimedia interface. If you're not as patient as I am, here are the passwords in order: smurf, breathe, ling, rose
Images courtesy of The Internet Movie Database.