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Requiem for a Dream - Director's Cut

Requiem for a Dream - Director's Cut

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: was it all a dream?
Review: Unforgettable is the only word I can think of to describe this movie. Fast paced but it leaves you feeling as if you just watched a whole year in a person's life. The repetition is a big part of this movie and connects all of the stories. It leaves you feeling a tad bit freaked out but definitly in a good way.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a good movie but not great...
Review: With this movie, the message is clear, don't ever do drugs, of any kind... they are dangerous and will destroy your self-respect and your life. Some of the images are shocking and this helps you a lot more to understand the danger...
The bad thing is that you don't get to empathise with the characters (except Harry's mother, a great character), don't get to know more about them, their expectations, I don't know how to explain it, but they seemed like puppets for me, something failed... like they were not feeling really what was happening... Oh and that doctor, come on!, you cannot leave a patient who urgently needs your attention to call the police, that doesn't happen... About the pupils' dilate or contraction I can't say anything because I don't know...
This movie is worth watching, has an excellent cinematography and a message about all kinds of addiction... but it's not the type of movie you watch more than twice.

Trainspotting is still on the top, it has the fun, has the message, the reality, cinematography, the music, and the most important really great characters. You can watch it a lot of times, so it's worth buying...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: interesting cinematography, weak story
Review: I would recommend anyone to see this if simply for the visual aspects, but the story really boils down to, "Don't do drugs, or THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!" Not much more to the movie...And I simply cannot get over the fact that the when the people use heroin, their eyes DILATE! Did the director truely think he could put one over on the audience, or was he actually unaware of the fact that pupils constrict when someone uses heroin? Either way, this never should have happened, shame on him.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: wow
Review: this film is not those looking for a "good time" at the movies. after it was over, my friends and i sat in the darkness for at least 10 minutes, letting the whole thing sink in. as a viewer, you get sucked right into paths of destruction with the characters. a powerful story (read the book too) darren aranofsky turns it into a work of primitive art.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Real, raw, and amazing..
Review: I have never seen a movie about drug abuse that is so raw and real, it blew my mind away. Requim for a Dream grossly comes to terms with the reality of drugs and its effects. A physcotic path spiraling down to destruction is the main theme of this movie. Revolving around four characters who all have a connection this movie does what other movies cannot. It doesn't shy away from the grim reality of drug abuse which is raw and not made for tv. The most merorable and imagery scene is where Ellen Burstyn's character is consuming diet piils and coffee until she abrubtly gets a ravenous appetite for food but pushing herself back in order to lose wieght (just to fit into a pink dress) the food attacks her when the refrigerator comes alive and attempts to consume her whole. This type of scene in a movie is what makes one think, "What the F*ck" but then again wow. Ellen's performance should've won the best actresse award at the Oscars instead of Julia Roberts performance which seemed so dull compared to this one.

Three words to describe this marvelous achievement; grim, raw, and amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better movie detailing the true reality that some are obscured by from happy fairy tale movies. Don't expect this to be a fairytale where the princess marries the prince..It will make the sqeamish hide under thier covers..

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very Clever, Very Bleak
Review: The movie uses a lot of split-screen effects, like you see in those early Brian DePalma thrillers such as DRESSED TO KILL and SISTERS and so forth. This and the time-lapse photography make the picture very engaging visually. The characters and dialogue are fairly convincing, and the story moves along at a reasonably fast clip. All of which are good things because, while the film is not entirely without a sense of humor, it moves inexorably toward a very depressing, hopeless conclusion.

I don't think the theme to the movie is simply "Don't Do Drugs". The Ellen Burstyn character's amphetamines are doctor-prescribed. An interview with the novelist/co-screenwriter Selby explains that the story is really about human suffering (hard to argue with that). Most stories about suffering indicate that there's a point to the suffering, or at least that there's light at the end of the tunnel; but this one does neither.

So, entertaining and technically impressive, but also a real downer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Harrowing to say the Least - Remarkable Film!!!!!!!
Review: "Requiem for a Dream" offers an absorbing, terrifying, yet fascinating look at the downward spiral associated with drug addiction. While the picture certainly doesn't tell us anything we don't know already, it is an unflinching look at the possible consequences of drug addiction. Amazingly enough, while you certainly don't condone even the reasons (excuses?) of each circumstance, you cannot help but feel empathy for the four lives depicted.

The standout performance, hands down, is Ellen Burstyn who was cheated out of an Oscar. Her performance is quite simply spellbinding. Even more so are the supporting players, most notably, Marlon Wayans. Because he has previously been cast in comedic roles, it is quite surprising how well he handled such a dramatically demanding role. He should invest in more dramatic parts as he proved to match his stellar cast members.

This is one of those movies where you immediately need to take a walk and "shake it off" or merely have a nice long cigarette. This is an intense movie experience following the results of drug addiciton on 4 hapless souls. Even more harrowing is that the movie offers not one shred of hope. In that instance alone, it should be applauded because it implies there is no hope as long as you do not posess enough responsibility to recognize dangerous behavior and do something about it.

I highly recommend!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Powerful Tragic Film
Review: I first heard about this movie, I was in a comic book store,had to check it out for myself. Just the title of this film tells you that this is going to be one of those movies that will blow you away. This film is cut up in 3 sections,"Summer","Fall",and "Winter". This film focusus on 4 main characters and how their lives go from good,to just hanging on to the hard wretching fall. In the very beginning "Sarah Goldfarm" is one of those ladies who is lonely and recently lost her husband "Seymour".She finds some great news that she has been selected to be on television.She becomes obseseed with fiting in her red dress she wore back in her son's high School graduation she will do anything."Harold","Sarah's" son, is a dope fiend and tries to do whats best for his mother and his girlfriend "Marion",he was told not to use the same arm to shoot up with.Its too late for him to change things...his life will now drastically change. 'Marion", "Harold's" girlfriend is to the point where she doesn't want to be with her parents,and just wants to be with "harold". She too is a dope fiend will do anything to get money when times are getting tough,soon at the end she will realize the fear of being alone."james" i believe thats what his name is,he strives on making things work,so he could go head the road to the easylife,he realizes,that he better stop what he's doing or his life will quikly end.I noticed in this film,it showed shots of him and his mother meaning,he can't depend alot on himself without thinking back of his mother comforting him during his troublesome times or pain of lonliness. This film is brillant,and the camera shots and angles fit right with this film.The music,all together really fits how the movie is played out.I did notice during 'Summer","fall"and "Winter" you see how thing in the beginning are going well,then begin to fall,towards the end,suddenly thing turn for the worst.When "Sarah" is hooked on them pills,she doesn't listen,in the end its too late for her,she put away and taking "EST". "Harold" is told to quit doing the drugs,in the arm his arm is amputated."James" thinks he can make it out there selling and buying drugs,when in fact he has a close encounter of death himself,but is sent to jail for a longtime in the end."Marion" thinks things are going great but she winds up taking things for granted,and ends up being alone.I love how this movie focuses on these main four characters,this film is supurb,wonderful,just what they went through makes me feel sorry,and sad.This film is brillant and tragically sad,somewhat disturbing.......all in all very powerful and tragic!!!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Overated, and Unrealistic
Review: Ok, after hearing things about this movie such as "The most realistic depiction of drug addiction ever!" and "Number 1 movie of 2000" I decided to pick up this "Masterpeice" and after viewing this 102 minutes of eyes dilating..I decided something..I do not like this movie.

Ok, to start off with, I was under the impression this was supposed to be completely realistic. Off the top of my head I can think of quite a few scenes that I feel have insulted my intelligence, for instance:

The constant shots of pupils dilating as the characters are shooting heroin..I may not know a whole lot about heroin..but im pretty sure it causes your eyes to contract, not dilate!
Also, when Harry and Tyrone arrive at the hospital and Harry's arm is practically rotting off, what does the doctor do? He calls the police and they are sent off to prison. Would a doctor really do this? Especially without treating him first? What a load.

Oh yeah, I didn't know that when they amputate your arm blood splatters all over your face, all yeah, and you're still conscious!

Well ok, a movie does not have to be completely realistic for me. But what it does have to be is at least a little fun or interesting to watch. This movie was neither; I didn't care about the characters or what happened to them. There was no development, just some stupid druggies, they never showed there family lives, except for the exception of Harry. The only character I felt the least bit sorry for was the mom, that was the only story, which I thought, was the least bit effective. I mean come on is a bunch of flashes (The exact same flashes, at that) of dollar bills rolled up and eyes dilating supposed to shock me? Maybe I'm just more into slower paced movies that allow time for character development and explain things more. Almost this whole film is shot in hyperspeed..It's just a mess of quick flashes, and that does not excite me. If you want to see a good, realistic drug movie, watch Trainspotting or Traffic.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Okay, and your point is...?
Review: This movie is 5 stars in terms of cinematic devices; the final sequence rivals anything Sergei Eisenstein could offer. But in terms of story it is nothing; any sensible person knows the message already: DON'T DO DRUGS. I don't need an incredibly hopeless and depressing film to tell me that, and after seeing it you are no better off than before. Not worth owning because it would be incredibly difficult to sit through more than once. If there is a message beyond the drug one, it seems to be that life has no meaning and it is all hopeless. Not a pleasant film at all, and hardly the incredible breakthrough that so many make it out to be.
Perhaps worth watching once to see a graphic depiction of how drugs can destroy your life. The people involved are likeable (at times), so your sympathy for them does manifest. However, I'm not sure I would call this "art" as so many reviewers here do. In terms of films, I would say "art" is something subtle that you gain something from with each successive study. There is no way to call this film subtle and repeated viewings would induce suicide. This is the kind of movie you either love or hate, and I in the latter position, sorry folks.


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