One of the most beautiful and unusual movies I've seen.

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2006)

I first watched this movie at a friend's house and was somewhat inattentive through lack of sleep and the lateness of the hour. I made up for this crime by buying it for myself soon after.
The hazy blueness of a school summer in the 1980's was rendered with an attention to production values by a man I was very surprised to learn made Donnie Darko his writing/directing debut. The plot is either very simple or very complicated, depending on what you believe is going on or who you ask. On the one hand you have a school in the 80's and some well thought out character interaction. Against this backdrop, on the other hand, you have Donnie himself who seems to be in the middle of some kind of teenage delusional crisis. As the plot progresses however, it becomes apparent that he has become victim to some kind of temporal anomaly which is gradually pulling his world - and potentially everyone else's - apart. He gradually learns - from old ladies, six foot rabbits and reluctant teachers - that he is the only person who can reverse the anomaly and stop the world's time-line from unravelling completely.
I have an appreciation of the whole writer/director thing and this Richard Kelly movie reinforces my belief that only the writer can truly interpret their vision in directing an actor. The cinematography is hardly groundbreaking but I found it impossible to fault. However there are moments of lucidity which almost seem to reach from the screen to command your attention. Some quite underrated and subtle performances from much of the cast, Ghylenhall included, add up to make this one of the most unusual movies I have seen in years and one which I am proud to have in my collection.