Rating: 
Summary: HAS EVERYONE'S SENSE OF STYLE GONE OUT THE WINDOW?
Review: I am unable to understand how many intelligent friends of mine have heaped endless praise upon a film that is so artistically immature, that sprials down into a mountain of overacting and cheezy bombast that I would expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. This film started off very strong, so its unravelling at the end is just all the more disappointing. I was pointing and laughing at Burstyn's character at the end and throwing my popcorn and soda at the screen. I have no problem with all over-stylization. Indeed, many times I do not mind cheezy schmaltz either. In Lord of the Rings, for example, it is a useful and necessary tool for such an archetypal theme. In Bruckheimer films too (as disposable as they are). But Requiem's subject matter would evoke a style similar to that of Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, or Aliens, which is does at first, but then attempts to utilize Coppola's grandiosity, with laughable results. Directors always mismatch music with a scene whose drama would otherwise not need it, and the frenzied montage at the end is a perfect example. (Go see the Cave Troll scene in LOTR... NO MUSIC!) In other words, everything at the end of this movie is so overdone; there seems to be a complete loss of sense of pacing and subtlety. Yes Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, and Aliens are not subtle movies, but there's never any scene in any of those films like the end of The Godfather or the opening to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Therefore "Requiem" is stylistically confused, as it begins raw and tries to be sturm und drang at the end. It is very hard to make good cheeze. You have to know what you are doing. Coppola did it; Peter Jackson did it. Aronofsky failed miserably.My complaint has nothing to do with the content of the film, merely the manner in which it was executed. Most thought the film shocking, disturbing, whatever.... but for me it was so preachy, so over the top, and dripping with cheeze, that it made no impression on me and i could not take it seriously. Look, most people will probably like this, as those who agree with me are far and few between, and, like I said, many who enjoy and praise it are intelligent people versed in the field of cinema. So by all means, see it and come to your own opinion. It's worth it just to see the beautiful Jennifer Connelly and I must stress again that the first two thirds of the film are quite competent (after the refrigirator starts dancing around and Christopher McDonald comes out of the TV the spell was broken for me). Odds are you'll like it. But don't say you haven't been warned.
Rating:
Summary: ...SO BAD
Review: I watched this movie with expectations of something good and deep but was left bored and really uninterested. The movie seemed to made with the idea that nobody had ever made an addiction movie before, nobody had ever said that drugs were bad and that not everything addicting is illeagal. The form takes a precedent over the content in this slick tale of 4 users and with rare exception really do much but make me wish I was doing something else like watching Drugstore Cowboy or Trainspotting. Those movies are at least funny and have a better pace.
I can't say anything good about this one, sorry. This review isn't meant to be helpful just honest.
Rating: 
Summary: THE SOUND OF MUSIC is more disturbing
Review: A young man (Jared Leto) gradually becomes an addict, meanwhile his mother (Ellen Burstyn) is becoming addicted to fad diets and diet pills. In addition to this she is watching too much TV and as a result is slowly losing the plot and gradually lapsing into her own bizzare world. But her son is too consumed with his own growing addiction and the lucrative profits to be made by dealing coke with his friends to notice her decline.
The movie is interesting in fits and spurts, but it soon turns into an all-out sensoral assault with not much of a point to it. I don't understand how this is on some lists of "Most Disturbing Movies". REQUIEM FOR A DREAM didn't disturb me at all. THE SOUND OF MUSIC, now THERE'S a movie that scarred me for life.
However, Darren Aronofsky has crafted a movie which is visually stunning, and puts the old split screen technique to creative use. The soundtrack is strange, to say the least; and features a bizzare combo of strings, techo and distortion. The cast is good and also includes Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayons. But if you're expecting something "disturbing" you'll be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: good movie
Review: this is a great movie which tells a tale of a downward spiral of people hooked on drugs. it is depressing and thought provoking at the same time. i cannot stress enough that if people liked this movie then they should definitely read donald goines's "dopefiend," a book about heroin addicts which is very similar if not worse than the one's portrayed in the movie.
Rating:
Summary: sick (a short review)
Review: please, see this movie.
it will make you sick, but you'll feel that it was worth it.
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I kinda felt that RFAD was over directed, yeah, probably the use of various techniques was necessary to transmit various situations, but I think that Aronofsky is cooky, he was trying to impress us by his usage of the camera and not by the story itself, which a good one, even though it makes me wanna puke.
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful, pessimistic, and memorable
Review: A powerful and graphic depiction of the horrific experience of addiction, Requiem for a Dream leaves the viewer shocked and painfully enthralled. Director Darren Aronofsky's genius shows throughout the film with his unique and arresting style of capturing the painful stories of his four protagonists, most famously in the specific story of Ellen Burstyn's obsessive and disintegrating character. Critics argue that a viewer knows the end as soon as the movie begins -- that the lesson will be the tired "drugs are bad" after-school special message. However, to dismiss this film in such a simplistic way deprives the viewer of the overwhelming experience of the film's engrossing story. Each and every scene fills the viewer with emotion without fail, from terror to suspense to despair. While film students may revel at the artistic use of various cinematic techniques, the amateur viewer appreciates each and every pan, split-screen and rapid-fire cuts that all serve a directly applicable purpose to the plot element they serve to illustrate. The real message of this film, as Aronofsky himself says, is that hope itself can become the most dangerous of all addictions when it is allowed to dissassociate from reality. Dark, dingy and desperate, Requiem for a Dream gives every moviegoer an unforgettable experience and for viewers like me, who love the sugarless realism of an unhappy ending, a stunning look into a brilliantly constucted cinematic world of misery. Those viewers searching for a revelation about the dangers of drugs will not find it here. However, those viewers seeking the experience of a brilliantly directed movie with an unforgettable story and haunting moments at every turn will see this nightmarish film as a dream come true.
Rating:
Summary: Intense and worth-seeing but not much else
Review: Requiem for a Dream doesn't so much try to convey the actual experience of being high (unlike Trainspotting) as much as it tries to show the different circumstances four addicts entangle themselves in as a result of their addiction. Director Darren Aronofsky (of Pi fame) tries to distinguish his drug-themed movie from the pack by presenting the most gruesome, disturbing images possible of characters doing horrendous things to maintain their addictions.
As shocking and effective as many of these scenes are, Requiem for a Dream's ultimate failure is that its characters wind up secondary to the graphic imagery. Particularly hackneyed is the manner in which each character makes their dissent into hell. Each downfall is categorized by the character's most obvious traits. For instance, Mrs. Goldfarb (Ellen Burnstyn in a commanding body suit) has a frumpy plump appearance, so her downfall is connected to diet pills and losing that weight. Marion (a brave Jennifer Connelly) is an attractive young woman, thus her vice relates to her sexuality (prostitution and bondage). By this point, we realize that Marlon Wayans's character, according to Aronofsky's twisted formula, must have a downfall involving racism (by Confederate yokels no less!). It's all a little silly to digest that every character's distinguishing quality is also related to their demise. Something with a little more imagination would have worked just fine.
Surprisingly, no actual scenes depict the druggies getting high. Five second jump cuts of dilated pupils, cocaine being snorted up a dollar bill, and the whirring of opening a pill container represent the act of using, which to Arofosky's credit, is an inventive and creative choice to avoid the familiar feel of other drug movies. Essentially the drug addiction is portrayed less luridly than the sexual abuse which Marion endures, again ringing this film less relevant to drugs and more relevant to something which I haven't yet decided; perhaps the buttons filmmakers can push to show the vulgarities of human nature. Aronofsky's vision, while intriguing is quite unclear in purpose.
Contrary to what some admirers of the film have urged, I feel Requiem for a Dream would be a useless movie to show to teenagers in an attempt to dissuade them from potential drug use. Essentially the main characters' reactions to their drug use are incredibly unrealistic. And since the reaction vs. the experience is singularly what this movie considers, showing this film would serve little purpose to teenagers other than to present us with preposterous circumstances which the average teen (and person) would, most likely, find impossible to relate to. Though a far inferior film, Traffic gives a more realistic depiction of young people being addicted to drugs (and a real yet balanced view of addiction that teens can relate to more easily).
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing movie.
Review: I can't say I watch this all the time because it would be too depressing but this movie evokes one of the strongest negative responses ever generated on film. If you like movies that produce strong emotion (good or bad) you will love this.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Hollywood Film
Review: This movie has the ability to physically affect people, more than any other movie I've ever seen. Aronofsky uses many of the same cinematography tricks as he uses in his debut film Pi to make the movie excitingly explicit. When hearing other people's feelings about the movie they are at the two extremes, loved it or hated it. This is not a hollywood film. It is not designed with elements to appeal to everyone. This movie is quality direction with quality acting. Burstyn gives an unbelievable performance, but the rest of the cast is no sloutch either. Leto, Connelly, and Waynes (In an atypical role) give great performances as well. Aronofsky's great direction lets the movie move like a book, full of sybolism and imagery thats makes the story even more outstanding. Whether you like the movie or not you will be glad you saw it.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo on all counts!!
Review: First of all, my admiration and respect go out to Artisan Entertainment for their decision to release this film unrated, following the MPAA's deplorable and hypocrtical decision to award it an NC-17 rating. In the recently released Not Another Teen Movie, a girl defecates loudly and disgustingly in a toilet, only to have it fall through the floor and cover the students below in an oh so palatable melange of bodily discharges. Explain to me the logic behind awarding a movie like that an R-rating and giving a masterpiece such as Requiem an NC-17 for a few seconds of explicit but very relevant sexual acts which are not at all excessive. But anyway, enough bashing of the closed minded conservative lackeys who destroy art...back to the movie. I must admit, I'm a sucker for Aronofsky's style. It is his relentless, innovative, and unsparing style that makes this movie a masterpiece not just narratively, but also stylistically. Anyone who enjoys watching cutting edge uses of conventional directorial techniques (e.g.--split screens, fast cuts, disorienting camera angles) will revel in the novelty of Aronofsky's bag-o'-tricks.
The frenetic fifteen minute climax is a testament to Aronofsky's keen grasp of effective narrative. Bravo Darren!! Keep up the good work! I cannot mention this movie without pointing out the remarkable performance of Ellen Burstyn. Showing that acting is not all glamour, she spent four hours a day applying prosthetics and makeup to give the illusion of an overweight, lonely mother in the waning years of her life. I'll be lucky if I can turn in a performance as good as this at 67-years-old! Burstyn fills her character with an incredibly subtle blend of empty hopefulness, woeful naivete, and when appropriate, uncontrollable psychosis. Strong, solid performances also given by Jennifer Connelly, Jared Leto, and Marlon Wayans. A word of warning: Despite the heinous acts the four central characters commit, you WILL grow to love them and root for them...and your spirits WILL be crushed when they crash and burn, and an unflattering realism will sink upon you like a ton of bricks. The most heartbreaking part of their downfall is not even the manner in which happens, but that it EASILY could have been avoided. The soundtrack adds icing to the cake. I loved the Pi soundtrack (another Aronofsky film), but was disappointed when only three songs were original Clint Mansell tracks. The soundtrack for Requiem is ALL Mansell, and it is a force to be reckoned with! When I heard that the Kronos String Quartet (one of my favorite performing groups) was a dominant feature, I was ambivalently excited and confused. How would a composer who does mostly electronica manage to effectively blend a string quartet with his style? Needless to say...somehow it worked. The result is a haunting, jarring, surreal score which adds to Aronofsky's idiosyncratic style and accentuates the pervasively foreboding nature of the narrative. Without the grotesque dissonances of the score, the disturbing nature of the film would have been halved. I must concede that this movie is not for everyone. But for me personally, the unusual combination of a dynamite soundtrack, spectacular acting, innovative and delectable direction, and altogether unsparring storytelling make this movie a 4-star opus.
It is easily one of my all-time favorites.
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