A movie like a dream

Rating: 9/10 (13 April 2002)

I saw Donnie Darko yesterday at the '18e Festival van de Fantastische Film' in Amsterdam and I am glad I did! Movies like this one are too rare in this world, although it fits in the 'mind screw' movie trend of the last few years. (see Memento, Usual Suspects, Sixth Sense, The Others)
Not everything immediately makes sense after viewing, and maybe it never will, but that doesn't matter at all. The movie is like a dream. Scenes seem to melt into one another and there's this constant feeling of hidden meaning and symbolism. The sound effects, the music, clever use of slow-mo and minimal but good digital effects draw you into the twisted world of Donnie, played perfectly by Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie is a lot funnier than you might expect, there were a lot of giggling viewers and at least 4 laughing-out-loud moments! In the movie, every character has its place and is developed well. Donnie's family, his friends, his teachers... they all form his weird but believable universe. I predict that Jena Malone (Donnie's girlfriend Gretchen) and Jake Gyllenhaal himself will have a glorious future in the world of film. This movie is a mix of the dreamy teenage melancholy of 'The Virgin Suicides', the psychological terror of 'Jacob's Ladder', the criticism on American society of 'American Beauty' and the complex plot structure of 'Memento'. And then to realize this is a DEBUT of writer/director Richard Kelly! I can't wait for future projects of this guy.
The applause at the end of the film wasn't precisely impressive, but what do you expect with an ending like that...
10/10