April 24, 2003
DONNIE DARKO
This past weekend a friend of mine remarked that a person's
reaction to the movie Donnie Darko had become a personal litmus
test as to whether that person's movie judgement could be trusted, and
maybe more. I instantly knew what my friend was talking about. I saw
Donnie Darko about two months ago at the suggestion of someone
whose previous recommendations were solid.
Donnie Darko is a teen movie. It is because it's about
high schoolers and their families. It's about alienation from one's
peers and from life itself. It's about questioning the meaning of it
all and the existence of God. It's melodramatic but perfectly suited
in mood. It's got an eighties soundtrack that seems to be purposefully
overmixed into the audio at times, becoming part of the narrative
instead of just atmospherics. And it's got Drew Barrymore.
I say Donnie Darko is a teen movie, but everyone should
watch it. I'd like to say more about the movie, but I think the less
one is expecting going into a viewing, the more one will be shocked by
the originality of everything within. That's why I discourage trying to
read up on it beforehand online. My only suggestion is that you should
watch Donnie Darko at night with the lights out, on a good t.v.
and with the sound turned up a bit more than normal. And watch
everything. Lulls aren't and everything is important.
Posted by Lexiphane at April 24, 2003 11:37 AM
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Comments
Alright, who gave the one star? Did someone not like Donnie Darko?
Posted by: lexiphane at April 24, 2003 2:04 PM
Overall, I liked the movie when I first saw it in the theater about a
year ago. But it's something of an ambitious, big mess. This is what
happens when they let you make a movie when you're 25 years old, unless
you're Orson Welles, whom Richard Kelly certainly is not.
The movie is worth seeing for the Gary Jules cover of "Mad World"
alone. The most haunting song of the year.
Posted by: bunsen at April 24, 2003 3:39 PM
Yes, very ambitious and something of a mess. It took me a week to let
go and stop trying to figure absolutely everything out and just enjoy
it. I'd rather Hollywood come out w/ big overcomplicated messes once
in a while than churning out some more shit where I know the entire
story arc after the first 5 minutes. If the guy that wrote and
directed Donnie Darko is really only 25, that's cause for being
impressed and also being depressed. I'm listening to the 'Mad World'
song as I type this.
Posted by: lexiphane at April 24, 2003 4:09 PM
For your amusement:
"Oh, please, tell me Elizabeth, how exactly does one suck a fuck?!"
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Now that's some writing.
Posted by: lexiphane at April 25, 2003 10:39 AM