An endearing character in a mad world

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2011)

Donnie Darko, a teenager going through life with his family, school and small town events. His condition (apparent mental illness for which he is treated by a psychiatrist and medications) makes him sleep walk and see life around in a surreal manner - speaking giant bunny predicting the future or instructing him to perform acts, vision of vortex connecting space and time, the character is overall very likable in his struggles - his behavior may not be aligned with the rest of the town but would would like to be? His nature and character seems true and it is easier to empathize with him than many of the other characters: he does not buy-in the local showman motivational speech (and turn to be right to doubt his motives), treat people around with interest and sometime care (his newly made girlfriend Gretchen or the lonely depreciated Karen) or paying interest in an old lady (in a sense a key character to his hallucinations).
Donny is simply a normal teenager trying to go through life with a sweet side, mixed with apprehension, confusion, awareness, fascination for the unknown but always trying to make sense of the life around him. I really felt the character was one of the most endearing character I have seen. Forget the cast including more famous names such as Patrick Swayze and Drew Barrymore - they get near unnoticed as the principle actor (Jake Gyllenhaal) delivers a stunning performance in his incarnation of Donny Darko. Gyllenhaal as Donny convincingly goes through a range of emotions from happiness, shyness, clumsiness, rage, fear, hopes, care and love as Donny tries to escape the reality of sordid life in high-school and the mad-world around him. At the end, Donny's choices seem to be the right one ending with the ultimate sacrifice for love and saving the one he cares for. And throughout the film, you follow his life completely absorbed in this very stimulating (intellectually and emotionally) master piece.
My only disappointment is that I discovered this movie as a near random accident as it seems to be more of an underground movie than a top classic. I watched ti three times already and certainly considering a few more as you always get absorbed by the character, the story line, the orchestration and discover more and more details in this complex maze of intertwined stories and interpretations. Pure art form, very stimulating, this one gets a high rating from me and I highly recommend it.