This movie grows on you

Rating: 6/10 (8 February 2004)

I just saw Donnie Darko again and I think I even liked it more than the first time I've seen it. The movie grows on you. It is strikingly original - whatever keywords or theme words you find on IMDB to describe it only approximate how weirdly original it is. And maybe that is part of the allure, its originality, that when watching it you may guess what will happen next, only to end up surprised. Now, while that may not necessarily be a good thing, in this movie it is. Unlike what many have said it does have a line of thought and a theme, and it more or less follows through on them. Donnie Darko is remarkably honest (even realistic) about the characters it portrays. They operate on human laws, not on fictional over-the-top laws where they are either exclusively good, or exclusively evil. In fact, the totalitarian private school that Donnie attends is surprisingly believable. Donnie himself is an achievement, extremely well performed by Gyllenhaal, and crafted by Kelly. Though many have criticized this movie for alleged incoherence and forced symbolism, I think its twists and turns are meant to stimulate discussion and thought, not immediate rejection because it doesn't seem to make sense at first try. After all, how often does a movie come out that makes you actually contemplate its weird existence (or your own)?