Rating: 
Summary: A *MUST* SEE FOR EVERY SENSIBLE BEING
Review: I know a movie is strong enough when it forces me to write a review. I did this for AI, Shawshank Redemption, and ET. and I also wrote it for Freddie Got Fingered, Austin Powers Goldmember, and Charlie's Angels 2 (I hated those but netflix does not allow negative stars). So now you know that I am not an intellectual or a pseud. My feelings are the same as most other reviews. I had not seen anything more horrific than this in my life. I am recommending it to all my friends who like serious cinema and art. I did not know about this movie at all but I had seen Pi. A search for director's other movies brought me to this movie. Even though this movie is categorized as 'drama'. a more appropriate category would be horror. In this case it is not fake zombies out there but real life itself. Real lives are devastated because of drugs. Thats the biggest horror of our times. I admire the director for bringing this marvelous piece of art that is a lesson as well. My son is two, but I would make sure that he sees it when he is thirteen or so. Its a must. And I don't think that anything as strong as this will come out in next ten years or so (unless it is from the same director). This movie took me to those depths I had never been before. Yeah, we have heard about drugs and their effects, but has someone experienced it ? This movie seems like taking you there. The pain, the agonies, the broken dreams, destroyed families. When I was a kid, there was some soap on TV on drugs. Our father did not allow us to see that, and rightly so. Most other movies/soaps/media just glamorize the part of drug and teach methods on how to use them or where to get them. This movie cuts all the slack. Its not important to know HOW drugs are used or what their names are. It does not matter. No one needs to know. However the aftereffects of drugs, these we should all see. Thats what the purpose here is. I bought some pills for weight loss for my wife (TV ads) two years back. She did not try those, and I am glad now. I know we will fear that little bottle ( it must be lying somewhere) even when throwing that in trash. Thats THE message, and I am glad I saw this movie. Even though I would like to see it once more, I don't think I have the capacity to bear the pain . I returned it as soon as I was done. and for those who like feel-well good ending, I doubt that anyone can have a happy ending on topic of drugs. Thats the way it is, it is one way street folks. No good feelings here, take it for what it is.
Rating: 
Summary: awsome
Review: this movie was filmed excelently and would make a... really good anti-drug ad. plain and simple. the movie was filmed expertly. (forgive me for repeating myself ) the style changing to fit the mood. things like lenses, pacing, and cuts. the sound was superb. which i used as a segway to my next comment. the score was EXCELLENT. im not so much a fan of the most popular main theme, but those sort of coney island dreaming songs and the one at the end titled "meltdown".
my only problem(s) with the movie is just the way it made me feel. i didnt really ever wanna see it again afterwords. it fascinated me but i didnt feel... i dunno... good, watching it. it felt like something was horribly horribly wrong. i got the same disturbed feeling from "a clockwork orange". another fascinating masterpiece of stanley kubrick ( one of the greatest directors of ALL time ) if you have a weak stomach.. you may wanyt to avvert you eyes at times. the performances where convinceing and the story, although semi-plotless. now im giving it a 4 because... i didnt like the way the movie made me feel. BUT, i thought the movie was excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Please read the book, too!
Review: "Requiem for a Dream," Darren Aronofsky's film version of Hubert Selby's 1978 novel of the same name, will definitely attain cult status in coming years. Selby's story about a quartet of drug addicts employs a highly unorthodox literary style of slang, omitted punctuation, and run-on sentences that stretch for miles. Director Aronofsky echoed the novel with a host of unusual techniques for the movie version: fast editing, bizarre camera angles, and nightmarish effects created a riveting and nervous film that is grimly effective in conveying the horrors of addiction. Starring Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connolly, Marlon Wayans, and Jared Leto; "Requiem for a Dream" will leave a lasting impression on anyone who takes the time to view it. As much as I enjoyed the film, I read the book before I saw the film and it is my opinion that the book does a much better job of delving into the personal torments of each of the major characters. The reason is simple: no film trumps a good book. Some pictures come close, but no movie ever made can compete with the power of your imagination. Still, "Requiem for a Dream" comes amazingly close to fully realizing Selby's bleak visions. "Requiem for a Dream" tracks the rise and eventual fall of Harry Goldfarb, his mother Sara, his girlfriend Marion, and friend Tyrone as all four individuals indulge in addictive substances and behaviors. For Harry, Marion, and Tyrone the problem is heroin. For Sara Goldfarb, her initial drug of choice is television followed by a particularly nasty encounter with diet pills. Throughout the first part of the film, all four see their lives radically improved by drugs. Harry and Marion meet and build a relationship through drug use and make tentative plans to run their own small business. Moreover, Harry can forget about the pain of his father's death. His friend Tyrone discovers the same sort of benefit as he tries to forget about his deceased mother. Things really take off for the trio when Harry and Tyrone buy a large quantity of heroin and make a bundle of money selling the stuff to local junkies. Sara Goldfarb's addictions are more insidious and ultimately more devastating. Shattered by the death of her husband, she spends her days ensconced in her apartment watching smarmy infomercial programs and eating sweets. When Sara receives a phone call offering her a chance to appear on one of these television programs, her elation knows no bounds. Recognizing her burgeoning weight presents a potential problem, Goldfarb visits a quack to obtain diet pills. Within a few days, things couldn't be better as her hunger pangs disappear and she loses enough weight to almost fit into her old red dress. Any day now that application for her television appearance will arrive in the mail and Sara will be the toast of her apartment building. All good things must come to an end, and in the world of drug addiction that end is often a fate worse than death. What started out as a recreational activity for Harry, Marion, and Tyrone soon turns into a hardcore addiction. Waking up in the morning with the shakes is the first sign of real trouble, but the trio continually reassures themselves that they are merely experiencing a small bump on the road to their dreams. Soon, serious fractures appear between the three when the heroin supply on the streets of New York mysteriously dries up. Withdrawal effects and the high price of existing supplies of heroin soon force painful decisions. Harry allows Marion to pay a "special" visit to her former psychologist in order to obtain a few hundred dollars. Meanwhile, Harry and Tyrone spend their time roaming the blasted landscapes of New York City in search of supply, and since it is the middle of winter the two often endure frigid conditions with little hope of success. When Harry gets the brilliant idea to take their meager funds and drive to Florida in search of heroin and Marion sells her mind and her body for drugs, you know the end is near. Sara Goldfarb's descent into madness begins when the diet pills no longer quash her desire for food. Even worse, the application she filled out is in limbo. As the hope of appearing on television fades with each passing day, Sara doubles her daily dose of the pills in a last ditch effort to lose those last few pounds. All of the characters' agonies are brilliantly executed onscreen, but Sara's is absolutely soul shattering in its intensity. The performances elevate "Requiem for a Dream" above the usual "drug" message film. Especially noteworthy is Ellen Burstyn in the role of Sara Goldfarb. Talk about disappearing in a role! This fine actress should have won an Oscar for her metamorphosis from a rather harmless soul into a quaking, sweating wreck lurching through the streets of New York in her tattered red dress. Her monologue to Harry about why she takes the pills to lose weight brought tears to my eyes. Just when you think Sara Goldfarb cannot possibly sink further into the depths of despair, Aronofsky piles on even more indignities. "Requiem for a Dream" is not a film for the faint of heart, but if you really want to view it in all of its splendor the director's cut DVD is the version to get. Included on the disc are plenty of extras: a commentary from Aronofsky, deleted scenes, an interview of Hubert Selby conducted by Ellen Burstyn, production notes, and a behind the scenes documentary. A powerful film not easily banished from the mind, I certainly hope that those who watch this picture follow through and read the book. Selby's novel, which does a few things the movie does not, is even more harrowing in its subject matter.
Rating:
Summary: Requiem For A Dream
Review: This movie is the most powerful movie I've ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing short of stunning
Review: After the initial impact of the movie subsided, I was left wondering what it was I had just experienced. This movie is an exploration of a complete annihilation of hope. One of the major issues overlooked by most reviewers of Requiem for a Dream is the cathartic appeal of the movie. It might not be The Man with the Golden Arm but this penetrating look at despair and destroyed dreams is one for the ages. It is so much easier to accept what we are capable of becoming when we watch someone else self-destruct before our eyes. The movies graphic representation of a slide into self-destruction is poignant. Explored in this movie are the limits, capacity, and boundary of tolerance of narcotics on our human body and eventually our minds. The movie does not demand that we sympathize with the characters but that we identify with them and understand them. I fail to see all the moralizing everyone is talking about but rather it is a presentation of the possible consequences of engaging in a particular set of behavior. Is Aronofsky telling us anything that any sane person doesn't already know? Absolutely, but it is done in a stylish fashion that to argue about minutiae about how realistic it is, is moot. Experimental movies like Memento, Requiem for a Dream and Pi do not get recognition from the mainstream and sometimes get recognition at the Oscars. Movies like this rely on buzz rather than hype and perhaps that is the genre's greatest strength. Last but not least, the performances by Ellen Burstyn as Sara Goldfarb, Jared Leto as Harry, Marlon Wayans and Tyrone, and Jennifer Connelly as Marion, are all deserving of our notice. I am in agreement with most who liked this movie that the Best Actress of 2000 should have gone to Ellen Burstyn for her incredible performance as Ellen. Her crisp performance as a woman lacking of agency couple with the psych center scenes reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange is nothing short of stunning. Miguel Llora
Rating:
Summary: The Best Film of 2000!
Review: I can't tell you why this film adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr's dark novel did not get more recognition. What I can tell you is that there has never been more remarkable nor a more disturbing film where drugs (diet pils/speed, cocaine, crack) is just as important of a character as the actors. Director Darren Aronofsky uses a quick-paced, chaotic directing style that apparently irked industry moguls because it may have seemed a bit too showy. However, any other style would be pretentious and too fluffy for the grim subject matter at hand. It's grueling to watch the characters, superbly played by Jared Leto, Shawn Wayans, and Jennifer Connelly (Oscar nominee for her role in the more recent 'A Beautiful Mind') spiral down their black holes to meet their resepctive fates. Finally Ellen Burstyn's performance is absolutely riveting as Sara Goldfarb, a lonely widow battling the bulge with 'diet pills' who's desparate for her son's love. She pulled off a performance that was much more challenging than that of a certain Oscar winner for her portrayal of a fiery legal aide uncovering an environmental scandal by a corporate monster...I disgress. Be sure to rent "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" when you see this film. You'll definitely need it as a pick-me-up after witnessing 'Requiem For A Dream'.
Rating: 
Summary: just another bizzare movie
Review: Just another movie where the writer/director/producers are trying to pass off their bizzare nightmares as something meaningful. Wish I could give it 0 stars.
Rating:
Summary: One of the worst films I have ever seen
Review: I could not even watch the whole movie. This is one of the most pointless and bizzare movies I have ever seen. I wish I could give it 0 stars.
Rating:
Summary: jigga jones the drug dealer
Review: i am never going to touch drugs...ever
this movie was a disturbing jolt of the realities of the streets. forcing us to recognizes our ignorant yet posh lives while comfortable im our little protecting homes totally oblivious to the sufferers of our crazy culture. whoppaaai
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING
Review: This is by far one of the Best movies i have ever seen, it is simply incredible...
First, i would like to say that i read some of the negative reviews that claim that some things weren't realistic...THey are completly missing the point! Wether or not these TINY details are realistic really does NOT matter AT ALL, there is so much more to the movie, how can anyone possibly focus on an insignificant thing like that?
The story, i'll let you find that out by yourself, but i can tell you this much: The acting is unbelievable (i couldn't believe how good Wayans was), Jared Leto has always been an incredible actor, and he proves it in this movie, he gives such a powerful and emotional performence. Ellen Burstyn (i cant believe JULIA ROBERTS beat her, their performences were incomparable), she does such a great job at portraying a TV crazed Speed Addict (who doesn't even realize she is). Jennifer Connely was stunning, you can tell she's a really great actress.
THe Director is a genuis, like many people have already said , watching this movie kinda makes you feel like you're on a trip yourself. The scenes depicting the actual intake of the drugs were really original and gripping, you'll see what i'm talking about!
I will admit this movie made me cry, the end is just unbelievably sad...
I dont understand how anybody can even think about touching drugs after watching this movie (but this is besides the point)... I don't know what else to say, GO WATCH THIS MOVIE RIGHT NOW....it's a masterpiece.
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