Rating: 
Summary: Technically good but problematic.
Review: Requiem for a Dream is a technically sound and quite compelling experience that can be called a cautionary tale (at least) about the dangers of substance abuse.The film builds very nicely; we fade in with comedy-noir cut scenes in which two of the main characters are pushing an ancient television set on a cart across various urban setpieces. As it turns out, one of the main characters is hawking his mother's television set to pay for his habit. By the end of the film, his mother will have developed a habit as well, from seemingly innocuous beginnings. After the relative silence and lightness of the early scenes the film begins to develop a darker, much more aggressive and hopelessly bleak march, climaxing with rapid cut scenes of the characters' interwoven stories that show the impending moral and emotional deaths of each. The cinematography is powerfully executed and the rising, harrowing soundtrack becomes a metaphor for the rising sense of hopelesness that permeates every frame. Five star composition. My only gripe is with the plot. There are four major characters in this film, each of them an addict. While the junkie lifestyle certainly has its pitfalls each of these characters somehow happens on the worst of all possible circumstances at every crossroads. The script could have been satisfied with the demonstrations that junkies often end up serving for posession or that junkies often end up turning tricks to support their habit. There was no need to take the heavy-handed approach. In this world, black junkies from Brooklyn go to all-white Klan-run prisons in the south, young wealthy female addicts end up in live lesbian S&M shows for chanting mobs of white-collar criminals, and aging suburbanites with amphetamine prescriptions end up getting electroshock therapy until they're vegetative. The law of averages clearly does not apply here. These extremes do contribute to the overall effect, but they don't stand up to reflection once the smoke has cleared; this dilutes the film's message to some extent. Four stars for a brilliant piece of film, but one star is lost for being so heavy-handed as to abuse the substance (so to speak) of the film for intelligent audience members.
Rating: 
Summary: Coney Island Freak Show...
Review: Requiem for a Dream is an interesting and enjoyable diversion that ultimately has little to say. The movie is best read as a chronicle of the slide into addiction of 4 connected, sane, likeable, fully functional individuals that regularily use drugs. Whether or not anyone involved in the production of the movie has ever used drugs is open to debate. In many ways in fact the movie might have been funded by the Government's "War on Drugs". There is no redemption here. Everyone who uses drugs is destroyed by them. Several key arguments of the anti-drug lobby are played out here. Watch the "Gateway Drug Theory" in action, as all the addicts begin to consume more and harder drugs! Watch the "Decline in Societies morals" as the rich daddy's girl who could be YOUR daughter becomes a [hooker], allowing her body to be graphically defiled in all sorts of ways to fund her cravings. However, this kind of moralizing and patronizing approach ends up being rather heavy-handed - half way through the movie I wanted to scream out "OK! Drugs are bad!! We get it!!! Now work on the plot!!!!". Sadly there is no feedback here, and we continue to be hit on the head with the anti-drug message until the film thankfully ends.
That's not to say it's a bad movie - the plot thread involving the mother is the highlight of the piece, making a very important point that legal drugs can be as addicitive and destructive as illegal ones, the mother-son relationship must strike a chord with anyone who has parents, and the tale of the doomed lovers could be as Shakespearean as the title suggests.
The editing of the movie leaves something to be desired, as this movie could be a textbook case of the dangers of using gimmicks for gimmicks sake. The worst abuse of this is when the director decides to use a split screen approach to fully capture the scene when 2 people are having a conversation in the same room, a few meters from each other. It's pointless, it adds nothing and it detracts from the on-screen drama.
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To conclude, if you want a movie to scare you off drugs, but that actually has a plot and is entertaining and hilarious too, watch "Trainspotting" or "Spun" instead.
Rating:
Summary: "From a Golden Calf..People only want what they cannot have"
Review: I viewed this movie with high expectations, always a dangerous proposition. Several aspects of the cinematography are innovative, including split screens, changes of speed, and quick cuts. However, they are so freely employed that the movie becomes (in fairness, probably intentionally) somewhat heavy-handed. However, this effort cannot simply be written off as another 'Drugs are bad' movie, because while the general outcome is predictable, the director does a nice job of showing the gradual progression, and moral compromises that accompany, the descent into addiction. While this progression is well characterized, I feel it goes too far in the last 15 minutes or so. Perhaps my view of certain institutions is too rosy, but I found the treatment of three of the characters ultimately both implausible and unnecessary; they could have fallen just as far 'closer to home'.
A few aspects of this film deserve special mention. First, I thought Ellen Burstyn gave a truly exceptional performance. Second, I felt the film did a nice job of showing that addictions come in many shapes, and that addiction can never be totally separated from other aspects of one's existence (even if drugs may eventually come to supercede other aspects.)
So overall I felt this was a good movie, with a couple very moving and several very disturbing scenes, but not quite the coup that many others found it to be.
Rating: 
Summary: Very painful movie to watch
Review: This is the single most painful, depressing movie I have ever seen. I felt like shooting myself in the face when it finished. It's a wonderful movie, though. I won't go into the plot. It's basically just about drug use and stuff. It all ends up bad in the end. Everyone's dreams are crushed. The movie should be called In Memory Of A Dream. Great movie. Just make sure you have strong will power. Must see movie. Good stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Join Us In Creating Excellence!
Review: For those who haven't seen this film...see it now. Rent it, own it, cherish it! This DVD is so loaded with special features it'll take you quite some time to go through them all. The movie itself is just gut-wrenching!!! If this isn't the truth about the dangers of drugs, then show me the truth!!!! The price on this DVD is low, so owning will save you money from repeated renting. Not a film for everyone, but if you want to see a film that shakes you to the CORE I highly suggest viewing this one.
Rating:
Summary: See this before considering a drug habit...
Review: This is a brutally realistic, harrowing, must see movie for all parents of teenage children. Watch this movie WITH your child and be ready for the intense conversation about the perils of drug addiction it will provoke. I realize there is an explicit sex scene at the end of the movie, but it is an accurate depiction of the depths to which a desperate addict will sink. I have watched this incredible movie with my daughter and honestly feel it will forever affect the way she perceives drug addiction. Having said all that, this is a movie that will jar you to the core of your soul, especially if you have any prior experience with drug addiction. Be prepared to think about this movie for a long time after seeing it.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent! A work of art! A wonderful film!
Review: WOW! This is a powerful film! Its touching and penetrates deep inside you and blows you away! Let me just say it is not for the faint of heart or for you who like movies with happy endings or those of you who love special effect flicks. This is a DRAMA. I didnt have a favorite film before I saw this one. It's a masterpiece! The acting by JC, JL and MW is superb. How could Jennifer do a roll like this one! Wow! I would really like to know why this film was not nominated for an Oscar because it sure as hell deserves one! If you liked "American History X" you will definately LOVE this movie and the more you watch it, you realize how powerful and moving it is. Its an A++!!!
Rating:
Summary: Good movie
Review: Looks like this movie got the review it deserves 5 stars. At first the movie gave me a headache with the crazy sound effects and camera tricks. But it was all part of the movie and till the last very scene it had me speechless.Go see this movie if you haven't you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Mark This Movie
Review: Never before have I looked at cinema the same way since I have watched this movie. Truly a touching movie that you will stay alive in your mind as one of the best movies ever. Exceptional performances by Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, and Jennifer Connelly. Marlon Wayans was as expected, but still superb. His history as playing more of a comedic role in films has effected the way I look at him now because his performance was well done, although of the 4 characters, he had the least lines. But he proved that he can play a serious role in a movie.
Watching this film has made me more aware of addictions in life. There are drugs out there that are invisible. Perhaps dreams are the cause for overdosage. Throughout the film, Aronofsky presents multiple scenes where the character appears one way (depressed or not as alive) before taking whatever drug, then presents the character in a different way--happier, more lively. And each time you see this sequence, you see the character's dream slowly fading away.
This film has impacted me more than any other film and is rated my #1 choice. I recommend this movie to everybody. This is truly a must see. After watching it, it will have made a mark somewhere within you.
Rating:
Summary: WOW what can I say very very depressing
Review: After my brother died of a speedball mix I had to watch movies like this to see what drug addiction was really like as I had only got into pot when I was a teenager 20 yrs back. Anyway, this movie was very real and depressing but I was glued to the TV and will now buy it a yr after viewing it. Awesome acting really not a movie you will ever really forget like the new movie Spun.
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