Undeniably weird but not necessarily engaging

Rating: Null/10 (28 February 2004)

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a dysfunctional teenager living with his mom,dad and two younger sisters in a suburban town in America.On the night of 2 October 1988,a mysterious force,which later identifies itself as a giant bunny rabbit named Frank,draws him from his house and informs him that in exactly 28 days,6 hours,42 minutes and 12 seconds....the world will end.The next day,Donnie returns to his house and finds that a plane has crashed through the roof and so meeting Frank in turn saved his life.The film then basically follows Donnie through what are destined to be his (and everyone elses) last days and the nefarious activities the rabbit comes to require of him.
If ever a film had developed such a strong and unexpected cult following from such humble beginnings over the last few years,it is this one.A small,independent film only ever intended for a limited release,word of mouth must have spread to such an extent that it has now become regarded as one of the most contempory movies of our time.The premise will be regarded by people in equal measure as weird or preposterous or both.The latter is really true of me,and although I couldn't help but notice the film's slant originality in some respects,I simply didn't find it engaging in any way.
Gyllenhaal carries the film fairly well and the rest of the cast turn in recommendable turns too.Most of them are no name,but the two that aren't,in the shape of Patrick Swayze (returning from oblivion) as a motivational speaker and Drew Barrymore as an unconventional poetry teacher,are thankless roles that aren't really of any necessity to the already convulted plotline.The bunny's presence has an eerie,unnerving feel (for something so ridiculous) but maybe I'm just a bit too phased for characters like him to have an effect anymore (something to do with psychopathic,demonic clowns,that kind of thing.)
Overall,I'm sure the film had some kind of deep,hidden meaning and significance to it,and I'm pretty sure I got it.The film just had no real effect on me.**