a refreshingly different masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2005)

This is a work of genius, and is certainly not your average teen movie. Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a creative yet troubled youth, who seems discontent with more or less everything around him - be it the perceived imposition of authority from his school, his anal (literally) gym teacher Mrs Farmer, or, more importantly, the regular hallucinations he is experiencing which involve a giant bunny called Frank.
Donnie's grades in school are described as 'intimidating'. This is a major clue in terms of plot: he feels limited by what society is offering him and seeks refuge in the depths of his own imagination. This is one of the ways in which the film's satirical nature is perpetuated.
The attention to detail throughout is breathtaking - witness the scene just a few minutes from the start where Donnie cycles home and the fateful red sports car passes him, with the words "the killing time" accompanying in the soundtrack.
I will reserve particular praise for the cinematography and soundtrack, both of which add a certain richness and depth to the whole film. Kelly reportedly had a budget of around $3-4m to work with (post-Drew Barrymore intervention) and the results are brilliant. How much was spent on securing song royalties?!
Beneath the surface of the film lies a burning, pulsing sense of satire. The way in which the oh-so-moral Mrs Farmer attempts to teach her students about morality and family values yet outrageously sexualises the dance troupe in her command; the self-help guru with a dark secret of his own; the supposed beauty of 'cellar door' sparking off the chain of events leading to tragedy; the idea that your elders may not be completely useless and redundant, in the form of very old neighbour Roberta Sparrow - shown constantly checking her mailbox waiting for Donnie's letter to arrive.
One of the key things I think this film tried to make the audience think about was the importance of control, responsibility, and making good decisions. We've already seen in 'Run Lola Run' how life can change inextricably given a matter of minutes between decision making. Control - or perceived control, at least - is what attracts Gretchen to Donnie: her life has a singular lack of it. The abusive stepfather assaulting her mum results in her relocating to Donnie's community and some sort of stability is required from her perspective.
Donnie is placed in a position of superheroesque responsibility to protect those he knows. When Frank orders him to flood the school, it is because of the hazard posed in the form of the child molester. A different responsibility ensues when Frank runs Gretchen over - Donnie knows he will have to die so that Gretchen can live. Crucially, he's still in control, hence his relaxed expression as he lies in wait on his bed - a personal sacrifice for, amongst others, the girl he loves.
Clearly, Lynch has been an influence on Kelly. I was thinking in particular of the role the man in the red suit performs in the film contrasted against the role of the Cowboy in Mulholland Drive. Both feature as some kind of secondary indicator within the plot.
It is extremely rare to watch a film which combines so many genres - horror, romance, sci fi, psychological etc. - and takes you on a ride of so many differing emotions. It is rarer still for that film to pull it off with any degree of success, but Donnie Darko does it with aplomb.