Very strong, very powerful, but a bit cluttered

Rating: 8/10 (26 November 2004)

Donnie Darko is the name of the depressed main character (ably performed by Jake Gyllenhall). Donnie is a genius, but like the stereotypical genius throughout history, is also on the edge of psychosis. It is indeed a dark and creepy film, but not really a horror movie, at least not in the sense of modern shock-value horror. This is a thinking person's horror movie, a psychodrama if you will.
This film is not only the story of a mad genius trapped in the body of a horny teenager, but in a broader scope is a philosophical work about the meaning of existence, the meaning of God, the importance (or lack of importance) of the family, the essence of truth, the fabrications of commercialism, and the relative hotness of Christina Applegate.
Confused? Well, the movie is a bit like that. I think the purpose is to make you think about all these things rather than provide any answers at all. When the end comes you're left a little bit bewildered, but that forces you to try to find meaning in the film, to see the points the screenwriter has tried to make.
A very good film, well acted, with some clever camera work. Has an excellent script, plenty of humor from both the kids and the adults, and a lot of deep, thoughtful bits that make you go "hmmmm". Could have used a little trimming (like perhaps the entire infomercial character played by Patrick Swayze), but otherwise a very interesting film. I can see it has the makings of a cult classic (it may already be one for all I know).
8 out of 10