Thought provoking cinematic art piece

Rating: 6/10 (22 October 2018)

**SPOILER**
After viewing Donnie Darko for the first time, I would definitely classify it as one of those films with an odd plot but a beautiful cinematic composition. Within the first 5 minutes, we are introduced to the main character and get a general idea of what kind of people his family members are. Shortly after learning that Donnie had a mental disorder, the film starts incorporating a variety of special effects and camera angles that add to the viewing experience. On top of what goes on in the real world, we are confronted by a variety of extreme close ups, canted angles, and suspenseful music initiating Donnie's mental episodes. These episodes are often initiated by his therapist's hypnosis and this is where we learn about Donnie's imaginary friend/figure Frank who guides his future actions in the real world. It's Frank that ultimately helps make the movie as if it wasn't for him pulling Donnie out of his room, he would've been killed by the mysterious plane engine that fell out of the sky. Overall the film is very thought provoking and visually pleasing. As a viewer, I got so caught up in the actual special effects that I often found myself confused with regards to what just happened. The ending was flashback that didn't offer any type of resolution and left it up to you to interpret on your own. Taking all of this into consideration, many people (including myself) would probably have to see the film again to re-assess what is actually going on.