Rating: 
Summary: A Great Film from a talented Director
Review: I first saw this movie as part of Drug Awareness week here at the university. I entered the theater expecting a good movie...as the credits rolled, I found myself staring at the screen, my chest aching and my hands shaking. I am not exaggerating. This is the most intense, emotional film I have ever seen. Aronofsky is brilliant. Ellen Burstyn gives the most powerful monologue on film. The DVD is a must as it contains commentary from both he and directory of photography Matthew Labatique.
Rating: 
Summary: Bizarre, but entertaining
Review: Burstyn is great. The movie is a little too depressing...
Rating:
Summary: One of the most powerful films I've ever seen...
Review: I recently wrote a review for "Blow" comparing it to "Traffic" (which I thought was overhyped and overrated). It's easy for me to lump all these movies together because of they all share the same theme: drugs. Let me be blunt, comparing those other two movies (even Blow which I enjoyed) to Requiem is like comparing "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" to "Citizen Kane". No contest. If you're already on edge worrying about current events and world conditions STAY AWAY FROM THIS FLICK. It might be enough to drive you right over the edge. It's like an anxiety attack in a bottle. It's so real and so intense that for me, I had to keep reminding myself it was just a movie, which is something I rarely have to do. If you've ever had a family member who's battled a drug habit, or had a drug habit yourself, this flick will stand your hairs on end. All the mania and euphoria of drugs is shrouded by a sense of loss and disappointment that almost always comes to those who clean up, or lose their personal battles. No doubt it's director Darren Aronofsky's deranged camera angles and constant bombardment of imagery that contribute most to the film's power and intensity. It has all the subtlety of a gamg of thugs armed with chains and clubs beating you senseless without ever allowing you a moment to catch your breath. Even the quiet moments are filled with so much heartbreaking tragedy that the viewer is allowed no reprieve. Incredible performances all four main players. Ellen Burstyn deserves every kind of award that an actress can get, but it was Marlon Wayans performance that kept me in awe because it was just so unexpected. Wayans shows that he has the talent and the skill to be a true heavy weight. The interaction between Jared Leto and the always underrated Jennifer Connelly was what I found most disturbing about the flick. Watching their relationship disintegrate is just too convincing and genuine at times. So to sum up... I'm not sure how to sum this movie up. It's not for the faint of heart. It is for anyone who's sick of the mediocre b.s. that hollywood has been pumping down our throats. A movie like this comes out every once and awhile and makes you remember why you watch movies. They aren't just for escape or entertainment, sometimes they CAN transcend into something important and powerful. Requiem is that kind of movie.
Rating:
Summary: A WAY TO TELL IF YOU'LL LOVE THIS MOVIE
Review: Starring Ellen Burstyn (Playing by Heart, The Exorcist); Jared Leto (Fight Club, Girl Interrupted); Jennifer Connelly (Pollock, Higher Learning); Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie, Senseless); & Christopher McDonald (The Perfect Storm, Happy Gilmore). I don't even know how to begin to describe this movie. It's the story of 2 guys who try to start a drug dealing business. One guy's mother ends up hooked on television and uppers. Trust me, it makes sense in the film. This movie got one nomination at the Oscars and it went to Ellen Burstyn for Best Actress. She didn't win and I believe she acted circles around Julia Roberts (who did win). Burstyn was sensational and more importantly, completely believable. The Academy screwed up on this one. They screwed up bad. This could possibly be my favorite movie of the year. The acting is incredible and the cinematography was just breath taking. Some of the shots that were chosen actually made me say, "Now that's a cool angle." The editing during one of the last sequences was also really impressive. Do not rent this movie if you want a pick me up. It's depressing and tough to get through. However, I can pretty much guarantee you'll be happy you saw it. Things To Look Forward To: Okay, who knew Marlon Wayans could be a serious actor? He makes a transformation in this movie. Also, consider this fair warning. Some of the scenes are graphic. Not awful, just graphic. Overall Rating: Solid A
Rating:
Summary: Trippy but powerful
Review: "Requiem for a Dream" should be required viewing for those high-school poseurs who think drugs are hip and cool. If the film's final 30 minutes don't discourage you from a life of drugs and addiction, then you are simply insane. A great, career-reviving performance from Ellen Burstyn, and Jaerd Leto and Marlon Wayans are in top form as well. The DVD has features galore, including a commentary, interviews, trailers, and a making-of featurette. Not for the fainthearted.
Rating: 
Summary: Traffic, minus a plot
Review: If you've seen Traffic, don't bother watching Requiem for a Dream. The story? A few people have dreams of living a better life, but are ruined by drug abuse. The End. Near unwatchable. And I didn't even get to see Jennifer Connelly's wonderful breasts!
Rating:
Summary: Imaginitive, disturbing and dark
Review: This film is gripping from the beginning. Rich in beautiful acting, directing, scenery and writing, this film is probably also the most depressing movie I have ever seen. Each character is destroyed by the end- left in a lifelong hell that will not subside. This movie is so wonderful in its creation yet so dark in its message and final product. After I finished watching this film, I couldn't move. I was surprised, sickened and stunned by the violence that Aronofsky portrays as the end result of drug use. I highly recommend this film to anyone. Its horror is the key to its message and though it is disturbing, it is worth the pain of watching to see this film and its tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Full of Motion and Emotion
Review: Four people who simply want one thing out of their lives-To achieve their goals and be happy. Ultimatley, I think that's what we all want-but how many of us are willing to take and sell drugs,or starve or sell our bodies to get that happiness?An older women who is past her prime is given a false sense of hope and security by believeing he will be on her favorite TV show. Her son Harry (Leto) sells herione and uses crack and pot and heroine on a daily basis. His best friend, Tyrone (Wayans) is just as much as an addict, although he faces more of the racial instsnces dealing drugs. harry's girlfriend is as big an addict and sells her body for coke as she reaches her bottom level. Harry's arm becomes infected with gangreen from where he shoots up-did anyone even know that was possible?It was interesting to see different types of tracks-although scary. sara Goldfarb (Burnsten) goes crazy. In the end I cried because even if these people got what they wanted all along-how better would their lives have been? great movie!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best films of all time.
Review: Requiem for a Dream is a revelation. While it is by far the most disturbing film of 2000, this movie is thought provoking, intelligent, true-to-life and utterly convincing. I can promise you right now this is a movie you're not going to forget in a while and a movie that is unlike any other drug movie ever put to the silver screen. Requiem for a Dream is so graphic with its violence, adult themes, drug taking and sex it may become a little too much for some people. I was frankly almost sick. So if you're a faint-hearted person I recommend skipping this movie and maybe seeing the equally good The Basketball Diaries. Okay, back to the film. It is one of the best movies of 2000 and has a unique power. As soon as this movie was over I just wanted to go back and see it again. It's official ' this is the first movie in history than really properly portrays how heroin and speed and every other drug can dislocate us from ourselves. This movie has been classified as drama but it is really a horror film. It is so realistic, true-to-life and graphic about drugs and how they effect our lives that I was utterly terrified. I will never ever take drugs after seeing Requiem for a Dream and if I ever feel the need to I'll watch the movie and forget all about it. The performances in this movie are absolutely breathtaking. Marlon Wayans is a star and Jennifer Connelly is shocking and great as a girl who will do anything to get something to smoke. Jared Leto is unequally fantastic and by far the best young actor in this gripping movie. However, it is not a surprise that Ellen Burstyn gives the best performance. She is truly terrifying, believable and masterful as Sarah, who is using a dangerous diet and just wants to be on television. This movie has many memorable and terrifying scenes but I will not ruin it for you. All in all, Requiem for a Dream is a master-work of absolute terror, drama and drugs, a haunting film that will make you think twice about ever looking at another dangerous substance. NOTE: Requiem for a Dream: Drector's Cut that is even more disturbing and graphic than the cut version. Director's Cut is even better than the movie itself and has alot of good features and new scenes. I highly recommend people who enjoyed the movie to buy the Director's Cut version.
Rating:
Summary: Sensory masterpiece
Review: From the moment you pop this DVD into your player, you will be rushed with a myriad images and sounds, all of them significant and all of them stunning. The menus are cleverly structured around the "Tappy Tibbons" theme (you'll understand after you watch the movie) and the extras are actually quite intriguing. One thing to stay away from in the deleted scenes: Marlon Wayans trying to ruin his only worthy work with an impression of Jar Jar Binks. Now, on to the film itself. Director Darren Aronofsky has created a masterpiece with only his second effort. The film is beautiful and disturbing, and its impact is actually forced upon you. That may sound like a bad thing, but it's actually not. The main point of this film deserves to be hammered down your throat, and every young person should watch it probably before junior high but definitely before high school. NOTE TO PARENTS: use discretion when exposing your children to the themes in this movie. Deviant sexual behavior and graphic drug abuse and a smattering of shocking violence all show up to enforce the point of the narrative. Every young man or woman is different, so be sure to carefully evaluate your child's maturity level before deciding when to show them this movie. It is a film where nothing is gratuitous, and no matter how many times you watch it it will be hard to take. The film scares you and shocks you in equal measure, and rightly so. The theme here is addiction, specifically relating to drugs throughout, but there is also an underlying message that addiction to hope (most prominently displayed in Sara Goldfarb's case) is probably the most dangerous addiction of all. This is a masterful work not only in terms of its unparalleled visual imagery, but also in its backdrops and, most surprisingly and largely unnoticeably, in its sound work. Listen to Sara Goldfarb chew on a piece of chocolate. Listen to Marion's psychiatrist chomp on his food. Listen for the tons of ambient sounds that filter through flawlessly on the soundtrack. Listen for little, seemingly insignificant sounds (like Sara's refrigerator starting up after she talks with her son) that actually support the narrative. Every performance in this movie hits the mark so well that at times the audience will be stunned into silence. Ellen Burstyn plays it raw and realistic, and for Julia Roberts's slightly above average "Erin Brockovich" performance to beat her out at the Oscars is just further proof of how the Academy is into sympathy votes. Each of the younger cast members pulls off a flawless turn as well, capturing the roller coaster ride of feelings that their characters experience and embodying the personalities of each without fail. Most surprising turn ever goes to Marlon Wayans, with a serious, heartfelt role as an inner city young black male who has underlying psychological (that's right, psychological applies to Marlon Wayans's character) reasons for wanting to succeed in the drug dealing biz and, in effect, to "make it." The fact that each of the actors carries with them a sort of natural beauty further compounds the shock and impact of the audience having to see them deteriorate. Ellen Burstyn is a beautiful woman even in her elder years, but the way she looks at the end of the film may blind you to that fact. Jared Leto is a handsome young fellow who seems to be able to look good with any hairstyle (reference this movie and ones like "Fight Club" and "Urban Legends" to see what I'm talking about). By the end of this film, however, he doesn't look that good at all (sorry, ladies). With Marlon Wayans, the visual change may be hard to detect, but you'll pick up on it if you pay enough attention. He conveys the feeling of misery quite well, I might add. He appears resplendent and healthy in the first part of the film, but it does change. And then there's Jennifer Connelly, one of the most underrated and stunningly beautiful actresses to ever grace a screen. Her beauty will captivate you from the get-go, but her own character's visual transformation rivals that of Burstyn's character in its extremity. You will hardly be albe to believe your eyes by the end of the film with respect to how these naturally beautful actors change their appearances. Watch this movie and then visit the website for some irritating fun, and then read the book for good measure. This story is not to be missed, especially by anyone who has had experience with or exposure to drugs of any kind. Wanna know how to make a sensory treat out of a movie? This one's a very good example, a true tribute to Aronofsky's style (watch for his direction of "Batman Beyond" to show itself sometime in the future; our faith in Batman films may be restored yet) and one that outdoes his previous feature ("Pi," also very good) a hundred times over. This movie is so good that only "Saving Private Ryan" can beat it out for the title of best movie of all time. Repeat: DO NOT MISS IT. It stands so far above all other movies you've ever seen.
| 
