Donnie Darko

Rating:
Summary: Allow Yourself to Become Part of Donnies World...
Review: The first time I saw Donnie Darko was on my Laptop in my office with the lights turned off and no one arround to distract me. I had no idea what the movie was about, it was recomended to me by a friend and Im one of those types who hates reading the back of the dvd box because it spoils stuff. When the movie was over I had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, and I wasn't quite sure what I felt at the end... all I knew was that it was powerful. I didn't talk for another hour or so, I just thought about the movie.

I don't want to tell you anything about the story itself, learning about everything is part of the experience. Its very wierd, yes, but its origonal, and it tells a story not many other directors would attempt to tell. Its open to interpretation. Its beautiful. If the story seems wierd at the beginning, it is. But let yourself be drawn into the movie, and wait it out. You won't be dissapointed.

As for the people who try to classify this movie into genres, this movie dosen't follow those guidelines. Its a mishmash of all sorts of emotions and stories. But it works, it never feels skitzophrenic.

The soundtrack, by the way, is steller. Check it out.

Rating:
Summary: Creepy in an unexpected way
Review: Set aside your preconceived notions about this movie if you've formed an impression of it just from trailers and blurbs. "Donnie Darko" is a delightful stew of science fiction and horror in the true sense of the word, with just the right amount of black comedy thrown in.

It's difficult to exlain the vast difference in my expectations versus the reality of this movie experience without typing spoilers. Let it suffice to say that the two of us were on the edge of our seats and one of us was heard to say "I STILL have no idea how this is gonna turn out" with only five minutes remaining. Very trippy. "Twin Peaks" meets "Harvey" meets "Back to the Future". Drew Barrymore (executive producer) as a disillusioned high school teacher and Patrick Swayze as a new age fear-versus-love guru turn in quality performances. And Frank the Rabbit gave me nightmares - high praise indeed from this jaded horror fan. Don't miss this one!

Rating:
Summary: What are we watching? Genius, yes. But after that what?
Review: I'm torn on this one, and so I ultimately have to disagree with the reviewer who said there's no middle ground. That you'll either love this film or you'll hate it. I'm living proof that there is middle ground.

On the one hand this is a fabulously made flick. The screenwriting is sensational with some bitingly original insults, which for reasons of censorship I can't cite here, and the dialogue throughout is amazing. The characters are fantistically developed, the high schoolers take you back to your high school years and the adults show you what adulthood is all about--that we don't necessarily have things figured out any more than kids do. The audio track is flawless, sound effects fit into the puzzle just as they should, the soundtrack is fabulous (despite the fact that Donnie's little sister dances to a song (Notorius) that wasn't released until 1992). And as for the lighting. Obviously Kelly has done some Gaffer or Director of Photography work before because he has an astute sense of what angles, what shadows to employ. You could almost get the characters' emotions without actors by paying attention to how faces are lit. Or the camera angles and movements they're shot in. With that said, with one exception--Drew Barrymore, who is horribly miscast here--the acting is bitingly true. Jake Gylenhaal debuted to the limelight with October Sky very well. He follows that performance up with an even more accurate performance here. Jena Malone continues to show that she will someday soon be a massive star, despite her ripe young age of 16 and the rest of the supporting cast (especially Donnie's mother, who when she's on it, steals the screen) fit their characters flawlessly.

So you wonder: with all these great things said, what can possibly be wrong with this film? two things. First Drew Barrymore, who I usually love and who produced the flick, thus having the ability to pick her role, fails as a hard-nosed, but well intentioned young teacher. And secondly, and much more importantly, it never seems that Kelly has a clear vision of what he wants his debut film to be. At times it seems he wants it to be a teen, high school flick, at times a commentary on pretentiousness or gullability, at times a look into the effects of mental illness on those that suffer the malady and on the family and friends of the mentally ill, at times it feels as though it's going to be a coming of age story, at times it looks into sexual perversions, at times it a psychological analysis of different characters, at times it tries to surprise you with interesting twists and then just to convolude itself as much as humanly possibly, it's a science fiction movie about time travel. Each of these themes are fabulous film fodder, but they can't be clumped into one hour and a fifty minute movie. A combination of a few of them, sure. Or a deep investigation of one or two of them, even better. But ultimately Donnie Darko is too amibitious (something you can rarely say about films today) and can't possibly do all of the things it seems to do want to accomplish. This, on one hand, is a strength. I'd rather have a film be ambitious and scale many genres; it inspires more thought and emotion that way. But sometimes, as a writer or filmmaker, you have to narrow your scope and pick what's most important. It feels as though Kelly never did that. And if he did, I'd loathe seeing the original first couple drafts of this script.

Rating:
Summary: Cryptic and Hypnotic Tale of Personal Torment
Review: Donnie Darko is more successful in creating a mood than telling a story.
What it does do well is expose the empty and surreal quality of American life in the 1980s. Donnie Darko is a troubled hero who unveils the hypocrisy of the world around him through his trials by fire. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Donnie, a border line schizophrenic, in a very believable and sympathetic way.
Many of the elements in the story have been lifted from other films, as one reviewer has stated, but they are put together here in a bold and original way.
Great soundtrack.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifule Movie
Review: Donnie Darko is without a doubt an instant cult classic. However, a lot of people complained about the ending not coming together or answering questions from the film. Here's where the beauty of DVD and Internet access come in. WATCH THE EXTRAS on the DVD. GO through the entire website (its creepy and somewhat confusing, like the movie I suppose)and it will answer any questions this movie left you asking. Especially read the book mntioned in the movie that is part of the DVD extra andon the website. If you're into movies that leave you with a little guess work to do at the end, Donnie Darko is the one for you.
P.S.-If you haven't seen the movie yet,don't go to the website or (obviously) the dvd extras. You either won't understand it or you'llruin it for yourself ;)

Rating:
Summary: Come Closer...
Review: When I first saw Jake Gyllenhaal in October Sky (one of my favorites) I said, "That guy will be headlining the movies if he keeps going like he's going." Luckily others agreed, and now we have Donnie Darko.

First off, Donnie Darko belongs in a category by itself like a large number of movies released in recent years. Horror? Not quite. Thriller? Nope, no Jodie Foster in sight. So, we have the new category that I have dubbed "Stumper" or "Figure-it-outer." Other movies in this category range from "Magnolia" to "Pulp Fiction" and even "Unbreakable".

Donnie is disturbed. So disturbed in fact, he's stupified. (Cheap Joke). He has been seeing a psychologist due to his emotional instability. Also, he is seeing a six foot rabbit. His family life is so-so, and the bindings in his family seem to be slipping daily. Like Sixth Sense, at the end of the movie, there is a shocker, and no matter what your thinking while your watching, throw it out. Thats not going to be it. But I can tell you that you will be thinking about Donnie Darko for days after you see it. It's a great movie, and requires puzzle-piecing. I just have one question: Did the world end in 88? Oh, really?

While you watching Darko, keep your eyes open for clues and remember the plot points to help yourself place the conclusion when its over. Also keep your eyes and ears out for some great book and movie references. And yes, they were watching Evil Dead in the theater. Groovy baby.

Rating:
Summary: Overlooked gem
Review: "Donnie Darko" is precisely the kind of movie that becomes a cult classic. No one saw in the theater, but once people like you and me get their hands on it in the video store, we make damn sure all our friends see it.

The coolest thing about "Donnie Darko" is that it's a bonafide independent sci-fi film. This movie has some impressive visuals and visual effects, and it was all made on a $4.5 million budget. Of course, when Drew Barrymore is your executive producer, I bet you get some deals and steals here and there...but it's still amazing that this film cost so little to make.

Jake Gyllenhall is wonderful as the title character; somehow, the kid who stooped to the all-time low of "Bubble Boy" is able to carry a mind-bending genre film with a large cast of good actors.

The film itself is at once hysterical and depressing; realistic and surreal; frustrating and accommodating. It's certainly an original work from a first time director, and a film that will certainly leave you with more questions than answers. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Any movie that requires you to think about it well after the credits roll is doing something right. "Donnie Darko" and Spielberg's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" have more than a little in common -- both deal with issues that are bigger than us, both have an ending that can be thought of as both happy and sad, and both still haunt me to this day.

Don't miss "Donnie Darko."

Rating:
Summary: Donnie Darko's Greatness
Review: While watching this movie, you begin to ask your self "when the hell will this movie pick-up" This film hides its great sophistication. Its not till the movie ends that you realize just how wonderful this movie is.
The story is about a delusional teen Donnie Darko(Jake Gyllenhaal) who sees a six foot tall bunny rabbit named Frank. Donnie is saved for some reason by Frank and is forced to do his bidding. Donnie goes through the film affecting charectars one way or another which all ties together in the end. The ending is one of the best film endings ever and is well worth whatching over and over.
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a spectacular preformance he keeps his charectar restrained and makes you believe this guy is insane. The rest of the cast does an excellent Job.
I expect great things in the future for writer/director Richard Kelly

Rating:
Summary: Best movie I have seen in awhile!!
Review: What a great movie! I watched it 4 times in 48hours, i just couldn't get enough of it! It is definetly worth buying!!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but with a few shortcomings
Review: I rented 'Donnie Darko' and watched it once, last night, alone, with the lights off. In the movie's favor, I have to say that it did give me that creepy feeling I was looking for; it did keep me entertained; it did make me think twice. If you're a fan of strange films with dark and uncertain content, then I certainly recommend you check out 'Donnie Darko' - it's worth seeing.

But part of the appeal of a strange and uncertain film is that it will come together in the end, explaining much of the strangeness in the film with a clever and satisfying twist. Donnie Darko lacks any such satisfying conclusion, and that's why I can't say it's great.

The link between Donnie's visions and reality is the mystery of the film, and this mystery is really never solved, nor is it left for you to solve. It's just... there. Based on this, I get the impression that the filmmakers themselves were uncertain about the plot. There are a number of very interesting ideas in this movie, but while each stands fairly well on it's own, they fail to come together in a meaningful way.

The strengths of 'Donnie Darko' are its characters (the Darko family is great!) and its strange dark vision (you've got to see this bunny). These alone make the movie well worth watching.

The lack of an equally strong conclusion is disappointing, but it doesn't mean you should miss seeing this movie. Check it out.