Rating: 
Summary: Mass For The Dead.
Review: Straight off, I don't really care if people didn't like this film. I've heard many people, not neccessarily the reviewers here, complain about how bleak or depressing the portrayal of the subject matter is in this film. I think, THAT'S LIFE! Life is filled with charmlessness and lack of hope for salvation. I work with clients every day who have lead lives like the ones portrayed in this film. That's one reason I enjoyed this movie--a director and writer not afraid of pulling the curtain back and revealing the ugliness of human nature. Watching Ellen Burstyn's slow and painful decline on diet pills, watching Jennifer Connelly's desperate measures to keep both herself and her boyfriend, Jared Leto, numbed up with drugs. The characters are presented as having hopes and dreams but by the end of the film those dreams are dead due to the inability of the characters to communicate with one another on a deeper level (something I've noticed many people do in society). The story and characters could have made yet another movie that's just about drugs but the writing of the script and the boldness of the director lifted this film out of the recycle bin and into a world of its own. ...If you want movies to take you out of your ordinary, dull, complacent life and show you a falsely happy and uplifting world, then go see "Pearl Harbor", it was pre-packaged for you. If you want to see cutting edge, harrowing and thought provoking filmmaking then rent or buy "Requiem For A Dream". And those individuals and families who travel down to the video store to rent movies and are easily mislead the grammar of a title: "Requiem For A Dream" may sound like an uplifting title if you don't understand what "Requiem" means--mass for the dead--or death of a dream! How many people have their dreams come true? Now how many more do not? If you can look unflinchingly in the face of human nature's infantile an unconscious side you will at least be entertained by this film. If you like your movies to come with solid writing, directing and acting plus an original presentation, see "Requiem For A Dream" or it's Scottish counterpart "Trainspotting".
Rating:
Summary: I'll never wacth it again
Review: I bought this movie, it took me two long days to watch this movie, and I'll never watch it again. It was brilliantly done, and it hit you hard. Just amazing.
Rating:
Summary: It dosen't get better than this
Review: !WOW! i just rented this movie about a week ago and was shocked, if any of you have seen pi (by the same director) and liked pi than you will just love this movie. I don't know what else to say about this movie except that it is the best movie you will ever see. !trust me!
Rating:
Summary: Fury
Review: Absoloutly must see. Arguably this is one of the most powerful pieces of cinema ever created. I would recomend this film to people of all ages. I know many people would say that is irresponible but hey this movie is about the truth behind not just drug addiction but about addiction in general. What make this movie so powerful is the amazing performance of Ellen Burstyn. Had she been omitted the story would of taken on a fantastical element, similar to Trainspotting. Jared Leto gives and amazing performance as does Jennifer Connely and Marlon Wayons. It is inspiring to see such a young director take on such an ambitious project and then succed in handling it brilliantly. I was not at all surprised to find out that Hollywood wanted no part of this film. Everything from the cinematogrpahy to the original score is an inspired work of art. And ofcourse hats of to the brilliant James Chindlund.
Rating:
Summary: Very Raw, Very REAL!!
Review: Excellent interpretation of what loneliness & lack of hope can become; SO raw, so intense that you can barely take your eyes of the screen. Aronofsky swings between two parallel stories with the SAME meaning so smoothly that it seems like an italian opera. He interprets what you can make the center of your life...it can be drugs as it can be HOPE. Excellent effects, excellent sounds (the airplane one is awesome!). Jeniffer is a delight of natural beauty & an incredible actress (Knew it from ROCKETEER). Leto is a natural gem; I believe that ELLEN BURSTYN deserves an OSCAR for her roll(she was soo intense & realistic). This type of movie is what defines THE ART OF CINEMA...Shaping feelings & thoughts on a screen. FOUR THUMBS UP ARONOFSKY!!...Keep it like that and you'll become the "KUBRICK of the century".
Rating: 
Summary: Hold on to your handbag, you ain't prepared for this.
Review: Watching the clips for this film on the Tonight show, I really thought this was going to be a film centered on the activities and heartaches of some dotty old ladies in a retirement community. Like many of you I am a big fan of David Aranofsky's "Pi" so I should have known better. I liked this film very much but it is one of the hardest films you will ever want to watch. The characters in this film are not deeply likeable or even people you would want to have over for dinner with the exception of Jennifer Connelly who has never seemed so breathtakingly radiant as she is in the first half of the film. But they are real people and whatever their flaws, it is really hard to watch them take this dark dark journey. Due to Aranofsky's stylized cinematography, you get in the heads of these people and you take the journey with them. Its a real unpleasant trip but when it is over you realize this is a movie that actually took you someplace and gave you an experience that you have never had from watching a movie like Traffic or Trainspotting. When you are done you have been somewhere and its very personal. It will stick with you.
Rating:
Summary: Be Prepared For Sleepless Nights...
Review: Requiem for a Dream is the most powerful movie I have ever seen. It isn't glamorous and you must be ready to be disturbed. This movie is the first movie I have seen that truly depicts what drugs are and what they can do. The acting is truly AMAZING... This isn't a 'dolled up' hollywood film, this is real; so for those of you who found "Traffic" or "Blow" disturbing should not see this movie.
Rating:
Summary: You Have No Idea What You're About To Get Into!
Review: I had no idea what to expect from "Requiem For a Dream", and I got more than I ever could have bargained for. I read, during the film's theatrical release, that a person in the audience during the screening of the film had a seizure due to it's hyper-real visual style. Of course, it became a must-see for me. Now that I have seen it, it stays with me as the days go on. The film centers around a circle of family and friends who are all in search of happiness in each of their own personal and unique ways. Unfortunately, it is harder for the characters to gain their happiness than they expect, as each character has his or her own setback. The film delves into the underworld of addiction, the sadness of being alone, the direness of prostitution, and the mindlessness of television. Believe me, you will not see any of these things the same way you once did after you view the film. As with Aronofsky's film "Pi", "Requiem For a Dream" is easily watchable, but not so easily understood. That's the beauty of it. Our world doesn't always make sense, so neither does the world of the film. The performances are awe-inspiring. Jarod Leto and Jennifer Connelly show that they had far more talent than anyone has ever given them credit for. Ellen Burstyn should have won an Academy Award for her honest and unnerving performance that virtually makes your heart break in two. It's hard to find a flaw in this movie. I could see how some viewers would not enjoy this film based on it's pop culture feel and it's fast paced, yet original, editing, but I hope that more people experience what there is to be seen in this completely original and moving film. It's not the most pleasant movie in the world, nor the happiest, but it has great merit. Give it a chance...you might be happy that you did. If you aren't, you will still realize that you have just experienced a film unlike any other you have ever seen, and that's not so bad considering the blandness of some of today's mainstream hits.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST FILM I'VE SEEN IN YEARS
Review: Don't get me wrong, I love movies, normally, however, I watch the movies I love over and over again. I haven't really seen a new good movie in a while. Aronofski's independent venture into the surreal world of "pi" left me dumbfounded... this film "Requiem for a Dream," left me... Blown the hell away! I was absolutely amazed! I first saw it two weeks ago... I am haunted by the film. I rented the VHS tape from the store, which was an EDITED version and it was so damn good, I went out and bought the DVD Director's cut the next day. I absolutely love this film, Darren Aronofski, Hubert Selby, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer, Marlon, Jared everyone deserves a damn Oscar, I love this movie. I will never forget how amazing and the impact this movie had on my life. TWO THUMBS UP. I may have lost sleep, got depressed, was left in a dark hole... who cares? I love this movie and I ALWAYS will. Thank you so much for making such a brilliant, life changing movie. YOU ARE INTERNATIONAL TREASURES!! I LOVE YOU!! HERES TO REQUIEM FOR A DREAM!
Rating:
Summary: A very intense assault on your senses....
Review: Reviews that warn of how intense a film this is, such as mine, can not begin to truly prepare you for the onslaught of images and sound that flood you when you watch Requiem For A Dream. In his second film Darren Androfsky [sic] has crafted one of the most touching looks at addictions and the effects addictions have on our lives that I have ever seen. As you should in very film you truly come to care for the characters presented, and feel the emotions that they feel throughout.A large part of the reason for that is the director's visual style. Using a combination of quick mtv style cuts during the highs of the film, to give a sense of the high that the character is themself seeking, alongside slower and more drawn out sequences showing the time between the "fix" for the person in need, your eyes are riveted to the screen in awe of what he has accomplished with the budget at hand. Without a doubt he is one of the most exciting prospects out there when it comes to young directors with an ability to tell a story and to do so with a visual style all his own. The acting is superb all around, and after seeing the film I have no idea how anyone could say Julia Roberts deserved to beat Ellen Burstyn at the Academy Awards last year. The performance she gives is so dead on and intense that at no point do you think this is an actor in a role, she IS the character she is playing. For the 2 hour duration of the film the motherly loving woman who just wants to fit in that red dress, is a human being with the same feelings and emotions as you. Amazing job. The rest of the cast was amazing as well with great performances from Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly. And who knew Marlon Wayans could act? Surely I did not until this film convinced me. Picture on the dvd is very clear and presented in a letterbox format. The sound is mastered wonderfully, and envelops the movie watcher into the world of the film beautifully. The Kronos Quartet along with Clint Mansell have crafted a haunting score for a very haunting film. There's a good deal of extras including deleted scenes, making of, a fake infomercial based on a show Ellen Burstyn's character watches in the film. A great dvd treatment all the way, my thanks to the people who did this disc properly with the extras a film lover enjoys getting.
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