Donnie Darko Director's Cut

Rating:
Summary: High-IQ teen angst drama.
Review: Donnie Darko, though a very good film, did not live up to the expectations built up by the press/friends, etc. For a start it has an uncomfortable number of similarities with American Beauty: the suburban family scenario, the out-of-place awkward but sensitive teenage boy (here played by Toby Maguire lookalike, Jake Gyllenhaal), the low-key portrayal of everyday life, the hunk/guru success merchant (Patrick Swayze), even the marimbas in the ambient incidental music. But whereas American Beauty chugs along at a nice steady tempo, Donnie Darko is weighed down by leaden pacing and the superfluous gaps and pauses. Extra points, however, for the groovy 80s soundtrack featuring the newly-hip Duran Duran, Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, etc.
Donnie Darko, which is Richard Kelly’s debut movie, is a fiercely ambitious and intelligent movie, the arrival of a major talent. It is also a very funny movie in places but, as opposed to American beauty, does not probe quite as deeply into relationships and troubled psyches. Donnie Darko flirts with the sci-fi/horror genre, with weird hallucinations and slow-mo/ffwd shots galore. In fact Donnie Darko is a bit like American Beauty meets Matrix meets Breakfast Club. Star performance comes from nutty teacher, Kitty, played by Beth Grant.

Rating:
Summary: Perplexing, depressing and very, very bunny...err...funny.
Review: For the most part it's easy to be able to classify most films, be they sci-fi, romance, horror etc... Certain elements are present in a type of film that allows you to generalise it within a certain bracket. Every so often, however, there comes a film that defies conventional genres, and mixes and matches elements to create something truly unique. Donnie Darko is just that, a bizarre mismatch of black comedy, perplexing science fiction and teenage romance. And strange though the hybrid may be, it works.

Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a likeable if somewhat hopeless teen with serious emotional disfunctions. The movie finds him being plagued by hallucinations of a man in a bunny suit and a leering mask named 'Frank', who tells him quite matter of factly that the world is to end in twenty eight days. What follows is a wonderfully scripted and extremely deep and involving film that will leave even the most elitist viewers baffled for several hours if not days afterwards. Throughout the course of the movie, director Richard Kelly brings in theories on religion, destiny and even time travel! To say any more would be to spoil what is doubtless one of the greatest cinematic treats of the last few years, but this is one of those films that really has something for everyone. It'll be plagued by misunderstanding and dumbing down by those who fail to see all it has to offer, but for those who see it for what it is, Donnie Darko is a gem.

Rating:
Summary: Undoubted young talent produces pretentious film-making
Review: I have high hopes for Richard Kelly as his talent, ideas, motivation, enthusiasm and everything you need for a good career in directing is evident in this movie.

Sadly, this time around, its a painful experience for the viewer, unless you are so into puzzles, sci-fi, symbolism and finding out what a movie means AFTER watching it that you can forgive what is, after all, really poor storytelling.

Hint - A really good movie doesn't need multiple websites stacked with backstory and explanations.

And, as usual, its all the fault of the script, which isn't a film script at all. Its a / Philosophy/ Religiousy / Science Fictiony puzzle (although I left out a few things there). This puzzle unfolds as a series of vignettes masquerading as scenes, related by Kelly's 'themes' but little else.

The majority of the characters are little more than pawns whose job is just to move the puzzle plot on... nice..... and.......... slowly (with the odd music montage and cute-dialogue sketch thrown in, as if they were ad breaks).

The main character was ok and most of the actors did well with what little they had to work with, but the MAJORITY of them should have been cut from the finished film, they are so redundant.

There is no drive in the film and little sense of progression. We know loosely what the main character is ultimately facing, but never immediately so there is never any sense of anticipation, suspense, hope or fear for the viewer. We are simply passed more information and explanations to debate and question later with our fellow sci-fi-symbol buffs.

I'm not saying you sit there waiting for things to happen because things do happen (to be fair some of the "scenes" are entertaining in their own way). But you do sit there waiting for a STORY to develop so you can start experiencing something (which is what we pay our money for, isn't it?).

But there is no drama, no connection and NO STORY.

All you get is a cool song and a plot twist (explained). Some people are happy with that I guess

Rating:
Summary: A dark, nostalgic trip into the past¿
Review: I try to find movies that are unusual and sometimes complicated. This is a good reason I tend to rent movies away from the Hollywood formula, going for foreign films. With writer / director Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko, I found a treat close to home. With cameos from Drew Barrymore, Noel Wyle and Patrick Swayze this movie carries you into the past, pre school shootings and unexplainable violence from today's youth. Set in 1988 (a year after I graduated high school), Donnie Darko uses the music of the times and the down-home settings to drive the point home. Quoted by Drew Barrymore (unfortunately deleted from the film), "Kids today are lost because the parents don't know how to reach them," Or close to that. Our hero, Donnie, descends into madness when he comes full circle in the month of October to learn of the future events through his imaginary friend, a dark twisted rendition of Harvey with Jimmy Stuart, called Frank "the rabbit". Frank explains, through visuals with excellent special FX that the path we lead in this life is predetermined by a source that is expelled from your body. Confusing? Good! To appreciate the subtle use of language and visuals Donnie Darko isn't a "horror" movie, you could border it with Sci-Fi, you have to see the film! I recommend this to anyone that wants a taste of nostalgia from the late 80's without the trite clichés always seen in movies. This was a more real look into the times, as close as "The Virgin Suicides." If you like dark, subtle plotted tales, this is your movie! I will be on the look out for more of Richard Kelly's work.

Rating:
Summary: Past Imperfect
Review: In "Donnie Darko," one of the characters says to Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), "You're weird. That's a compliment." Richard Kelly's overlooked debut feature from the fall of 2001 is *really* weird. That's a compliment. As the film opens on October 1, 1988, Donnie, a troubled teen with a genius IQ, is wakened from slumber and led out to the country club golf course by Frank, a creepy, echo-voiced bunnyman (James Duval) who tells him that the world will end in just thirty days. The rest of the film recounts the events of those thirty days, including Donnie's hypno-therapy sessions with his psychiatrist (Katherine Ross); his strangely protective romance with Gretchen, a fellow outcast at school (Jena Malone); his efforts to debunk the teachings of smarmy self-help guru (Patrick Swayze); and, of course, the mystery of what will happen on October 31, which seems tied somehow to the jet engine that crashed into Donnie's room on the night of October 1, just after Donnie was roused from sleep...

The film is similar in look and feel to the languid, surreal suburban dramas of "American Beauty," "The Ice Storm" and "The Virgin Suicides," but its content is another matter. The subject of the film is something of a Rorsharch test for viewers. What is the movie really about? Time travel? Dreams? The afterlife? Schizophrenia? I'm not sure. The extras on the DVD, particularly the commentary and excerpts from a pseudo-science book called "The Philosophy of Time Travel" indicate that Kelly meant this to be a reality-bending tale in the tradition of Philip K. Dick's fiction, Terry Gilliam's "Twelve Monkeys," or perhaps Spike Jonze's "Being John Malkovich," but without the study aids, the images and events of the film are more baffling than even those works. "Donnie Darko" seems to present the pieces of a coherent story, but I wonder whether everything adds up.

Notwithstanding the enigma of the "plot," there's a lot to recommend the film. The performances, including smart, understated turns by Drew Barrymore, Noah Wylie and Mary McDonnell, are wonderful. Gyllenhaal was a great choice for Darko; though he's clearly older than his character, his unfocused features lend him a childish aspect, and his carefully-deployed smirk can seem simultaneously beatific and demonic. Despite her character's troubled background, Jena Malone is effortlessly endearing, which is important to the film's ending. (Or beginning. Whatever.) The dialogue is priceless; some of it is self-consciously funny, but much of the humor comes from the fact that the characters spout malapropisms and non-sequiturs common to everyday conversation. And even if, like me, you can't make full sense of the story, I'd be willing to bet that you've never seen anything like it before. What other film could make songs by Tears for Fears or Duran Duran sound so atmospheric or ominous?

This film is seriously weird. That's a compliment.

Rating:
Summary: The New Era of Genres
Review: The public is getting sick of hollywood. Times are changing, movie plots seem to repeat themselves more then those awful songs on the radio. Innovative directors (like Richard Kelly) are commitied to bringing art based movies to life. That is exactly what Donnie Darko penetrates...the risky chance of creating a new type of movie.
In the DVD itself, the director points out that this film, while having a structure and definate ending, is certainly open for personal interpretation. Similar to a conceptual painting, viewing this movie takes an incredible amount of intimate focus. The plot is not served on a silver plate like most movies. One must concentrate, evaluate, love, trust, and solve the many mysteries of the characters and goals. Truely unique, you slowly start to comprehend Donnie and his situation (i liked the comparisons to "catcher in the rye"). The ambitious mix of genres is just a desperate way to try and define this conceptual drama. Those who rated it poorly did so because the film insulted their intelligence. And it will insult your intelligence, too.
I gave this film 4 stars simply because while it is undeniably original, it certainly wasn't a masterpiece. There are many issues that needed to be cleaned up (continuity, some acting (jake however was amazing), cutting VERY IMPORTANT SCENES). I hope to see this new generation of film making in the future. It has given me faith that the enertainment industry of this disgustingly capitalistic society still might have a chance. Maybe my generation will actually be encouraged to think. As a senior in highschool i will hope to show this film to as many friends as possible. You should do the same...

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, Original Movie with Outstanding Soundtrack
Review: The thunder rumbled away through the distant mountains, we left the young man lying in the middle of the road, and the first notes of Echo and the Bunnymen's "Killing Moon" rung out. I was spellbound for the next 113 minutes.

Set in the late 80's Donnie Darko is the story of a young man's alienation through mental illness and general teenage angst. Soon after a jet engine mysteriously crashes into Donnie's bedroom he starts receiving visits from a prophetic character in a strange rabbit costume named Frank. His subsequent interactions with Frank, teachers, friends, family, and his therapist weave a completely original and absorbing tale. Donnie's interest in time travel and anxiety about Frank's apocolyptic predictions move the story forward in a completely unpredictable way. There is a great deal of humour, especially with Donnie's disdain for the local self help guru.

The usual high school teen-drama characters present themselves but they are fleshed out with uncommon depth in this movie, Donnie's family are likeable and very functional, his teachers have lives outside school and his girlfriend has a multi-dimensional personality with troubles of her own.

A hypnotic and darkly beautiful original soundtrack is complemented by one of the best selections of eighties music I have heard in recent memory. Honestly the way this music is integrated with such meaning and purpose to the film's narative you'd think it was written for it. From "Killing Moon" in the opening scene, tracks from bands like Tears for Fears and Joy Division complement perfectly every time. In one scene where Donnie's halucinations get a little out of hand "Under the Milky Way" by Australian band the Church is used so well I got a rush of blood to the head, and the final scene uses a re-working of Tears for Fears "Mad World" to great tragic effect.

Some reviewers have been upset by what they see as a confusing ending, but I found the ending deeply moving and satisfying, as I did the movie as a whole.