Donnie Darko

Rating:
Summary: If you don't understand it...watch it again
Review: Aaaaaamazing. Everything about it. Richard Kelly is a god and I am stoked to see what he comes up with next.

Rating:
Summary: "Donnie Darko" A Real Gem
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: To sum it up. Don't read if you haven't seen the movie yet.
Review: Ok the director made a flaw when he mentioned cellardoor. I loved his mentioning it but his mistake came when he went on to assume that it was edgar allen poe that made the comment, in all actuality it was JRR Tolkien who made this comment. Tolkien was the great linguist who actually created his own languages. Poe was a poet. So if you read this then now you know. So the movie is great. It made me think. I generally like doing such activities. You got this kid who sees the future with his powers and "unconsciously knows" he's going to die. He wants to change the way things will be and uses his powers to do so by keeping himself from dying the fateful nite. He does this by creating an alternate course of time where he is not in his bed when a jet engine crashes on top of it. So he's always sneaking out of his room at nite on the off beat chance that nite is the fateful nite. Then you have this old lady who also has these powers and writes a book on it and she wants things set right and put back in order, and she does this unconsciously as well by causing Frank to accidently kill Gretchen by unconsciously always being in the middle of the road. I guess Lady Death "unconsciously knows" this will help Donnie make everything right. The kid sees that he has to change things back to how everything was supposed to be (where he dies)and makes the jet engine of his mom's airplane fall into a portal which he creates for the engine to go back in time and fall on himself 28 days from the 30th. How the jet engine ever initially falls is beyond me but according to time theory if you have an 8 ball go through a portal to the past then that 8 ball will always have gone into the portal and always come out at the other end of the portal. The thing is when it comes out in the past what changes will it make? Even if say the 8 ball runs into itself somewhere down the line that in itself may have caused the 8 ball to have gone through the time portal initially, but there is no disputing the fact that the 8 ball will have to go into the time portal and come out no matter what you try to do to stop it. The 8 ball initially always came out before the possibility of it going in is conceived. Therefore predestination exist if time travel exist. It's a law of time. If time travel itself is possible. And seeing that he actually does force the jet engine to fall on his previous self in the alternate future then this would bring an end to his alternate universe/the world. So the bunny was right all along, the world did end. The touching ending is what made it all the worthwhile. The end has the director saying that Donnie is smiling because Donnie thinks it was all just a dream. But to me Donnie was smiling because he was no longer afraid to die alone. Which if the director didn't think about seeing it that way then his ...missed a good ending call. Also from a deleted scene you have Donnie and Gretchen playing some 80s racecar game and he describes the visions he has and says they are like dreams but they are crystal clear and right when they are over just like when you wake up from a dream it all slips away little by little really quick. Well at the end you see everyone and they are all waking up from the "dream" that Donnie made, his alternate universe. And eventually they all start to forget about it. And that's why Gretchen hesitates at the end but still says that she never knew Donnie. Because to her it was all just a dream that's slipping out of hers and everyone else's memory. If you didn't know, the deleted scenes have a lot of Donnie and Gretchen together as bf/gf. And another scene that was deleted that was not even in the deleted scenes section show him and Gretchen dropping off the roberta sparrow letter. And I feel that the love story here is awesome even though they downplayed it with editing. But yeah there you go. Great ending. Loved it. All time classic movie. If i'm wrong about certain things then I don't care.

Rating:
Summary: If you have not seen this than you are really missing out!
Review: It is too hard to try to critique this movie in the starndard plot and theme way. If you have ever had your mind running on too many things at once and it scared you this is your flick. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers one of his best performances ever. I will not give any of the movie away but if you have any doubts try and rent it before you buy it. But I think you will buy it anyway. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the title role of Donnie Darko who is a very troubled but brilliant teenager. The power of this movie depends on your observatory skills and your imagination. This is the best movie I have seen in a very very long time.

Rating:
Summary: Redemption
Review: Ok, I was wasting time in a chat room. Suddenly someone asked if anyone had seen this movie, "Donnie Darko." Several others began to speak, but only vaguely. However, I was drawn, without knowing ANY specifics beyond the title and the mood of the movie.
I found it that evening on a pay channel (does that seem a bit like destiny, my path in life?); and I watched, mouth agape, as the scenes unfolded in an intricate web of events all centering around the main character, Donnie, who was saved from death by his new imaginary friend, Frank: a six-foot tall bizarre-looking rabbit.
Frank instructs Donnie to do things, things that disrupt and tear at the lives of the people of his town and school. And as I was appalled by Donnie's obedience, I couldn't help but to understand how we all feel led at times, as if it were out of our control.
The movie is a study in irony at every turn; and as the story comes full circle, you see that redemption is the ultimate irony here. And Donnie Darko willingly and joyously bought it for everyone.
Few movies have left me quiet for so long, alone with my thoughts of life/death, action/consequence... Now "Donnie Darko."

Rating:
Summary: Sad, thoughtful, touching film
Review: I liked this movie. Sad, thoughtful, touching. It communicates emotional resonance in each glimpse it gives us of the faces of any of its characters. Hints about what it's about? What more do you need than The Last Temptation of Christ?

I found it deeply moving, a filmic poem that as alien to rational thought as is the best work by W.S. Merwin, Wallace Stevens, or even Keats.

I guess maybe this review isn't very helpful, but this isn't a popcorn picture. Rather, it's for one who wants to feel, to be reminded of the immediacy of life, and to believe that one really could change his fate--which is, after all, that each of us will die alone.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely a worthwhile experience
Review: Between the thousands of High-School comedy flicks and Teen slasher films lies a very rare, untapped viewing genre which few moviegoers even consider, let alone bother watching. While the previously mentioned genres deal with basic teen preoccupations such as losing virginity, asserting popularity and curiosity (the perils of opening the cellar door (sic) to find out what that strange noise is), these films have little more to say than 'Hey, we're kids, and we're having a blast'. There is a sense of 'normality' and 'healthiness' that these films choose to base themselves on, usually allowing the odd 'fat kid' or 'freak' a look in for added laughs or to help drive the plot. Donnie Darko is definitely not one of these films

Donnie Darko is one of those rare gems that combine a subtle Lynch-esque dark humour with a nihilistic view of the trivialities of society, and what is considered 'normal' behaviour. Unlike the 'American Pie/Scream' banalities, we see
the central character relinquish grip on the world around him, but in his own mind, establishing his own beliefs and opinions, with the assistance of Frank, a very unusual and sinister sidekick.

The components that introduce us to the world of Donnie Darko - a misplaced Jet engine, an apocalyptic prophecy made by a man in a macabre bunny suit, and the complexities of Time travel are as strange as the overall atmosphere that pervades this film. The viewer cannot help feeling that as the central character's sanity unhinges, that it is in fact the rest of the world that is going crazy.

The acting is amazing, and the plot is superbly driven. The movie succeeds in walking a fine line between many genres, without ever being dominated by one - the film could have turned into comic farce, horror, sci-fi or love story, but chooses to remain uncategorized. The dialogue is blatantly written to make you acknowledge philosophical questions from the Zen-like to the ridiculous. It is a very accessable film, despite all the bizzarre inclusions and enigmatic prose. Similarly, while there is a heavy element of despair and worthlessness, it is not a film that will make you suicidal. However, it is certainly not a film to watch if all you want is a brainless teenage romp. If you want that, go hire out something by National Lampoon.

Despite criticisms that the end was a let-down, I honestly thought that it was a good strong ending that answered many of the film's plot points, but left the more important loose ends free for the viewer to interpret, and in keeping with the rest of the movie, was bitter-sweet and thought-provoking.

Particular highlights are the first time Donnie sees evidence of time travel, the conversation that he has with Frank in the cinema, the disturbingly realistic twist of the Jim Cunningham character, and the voyeuristic peek into many of the characters alone while a melancholy cover of 'Mad World' is played.

Donnie Darko is up there with films like 'Heathers', 'Virgin Suicides', 'Memento', 'Cruel Intentions' and any other film that actually dares to challenge the viewer to look beneath the surface.

Rating:
Summary: I dont have a title
Review: I give this movie 5 stars because it is original. Each time I watch it, I sink deeper into Donnie's mind. I think that there are alot of people, young people, out there that are somewhat like one of the many characters in the movie. I never knew why I thought so much about life, I often thought I was strange, and then I saw "Donnie Darko" and I noticed that I am not the only one that sometimes thinks "too much" about things(although of course his thoughts consumed him). I think that also alot of people are like Chanita,a round, plump,but adorable young asian girl who is picked on. Also people are like Gretchen,a teenage girl with a good heart but hurts of her own. I think that this film was wonderfully directed,not perfect, but great. I believe that Jake Gyllenhaal is an adorable and talented actor, sometimes I watch this movie to see his work. I recommend Donnie Darko for those who are dreamers.Those who are not just walking on the earth without a thought or observation about our world.If you do not have a capacity to think and do not have huge capacity for imagination then I do not recommend this because the point of the movie and the intellect of the movie will not be absorbed the way I personally think(opinion) it should be and was intended to be.

Rating:
Summary: Dude....sweet.
Review: What can I say that everyone else hasn't... how about watch the damn movie. Help make this movie the cult hit it deserves to be... Besides, your buddies at school will think you're cool because you know GOOD movies, and the ladies will either find you sophisticated or wierd(which according to the movie is a compliment)...

Rating:
Summary: First of all...
Review: I'm not Mary Jane Bucy...this is my mom's account..I'm awake at 2 a.m. because I just watched Donnie Darko and it scared the living hell out of me.
That's not necessarily a bad thing.
And I just want to say that...I get this sick feeling in my stomach when I've been really disturbed by a movie...and the only other movie that's induced this nausea was Planet of the Apes (the old or new version). I actually threw up on the way home from the theatre over that one. But this movie...I don't know...I think I actually sat through most of the credits with my mouth hanging open. It's stunning. I love it. I can't believe I've never seen it before. I don't even know what to say...it was scary, and beautiful, and somehow hopeless and hopeful at the same time, and the best part of the whole movie is at the end, when the little boy asks Gretchen if she knew Donnie, and she just sits there and finally, like she had to think about it, she says no. It actually made me cry. I think the whole movie was leading up to that moment. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.