Dark, funny, creepy, and full of questions to wrap your brain around

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2009)

Donnie Darko has something to do with time travel and something to do with fate. The fun of the film is that it asks a lot of questions and doesn't provide many answers. It creates a strange mythology that boggles minds upon repeat viewings. The fun of watching the film is that people find themselves developing many theories. Any film that achieves cult status involves a certain mythology, like we've found ourselves in the middle of something grand and we're only given a glimpse of whats actually going on. Donnie Darko is a well crafted "hero" of sorts. To what end is up to the viewer to decide. He's horribly flawed yet has a huge burden to carry as we approach the closure of the film.
What is often overlooked about this film is the deconstruction of 80s suburbia. "The end of the world" is often mentioned in the film and Donnie Darko's character is often unraveling those uncomfortable truths about a hidden facade of safety in suburbia. His family looks perfect in the very beginning til they start cursing and discussing politics at the dinner table. What kids are learning at school is questioned by an ignorant parent, while they question vandalism at the school. The local clean cut celebrity Dr. Cunningham has a dark secret. Suddenly their world becomes a little unsafe, all thanks to Donnie Darko. All this is done with a dark, and devilish sense of humor.
I didn't care for the director's cut as much. The fun of this film is in its mythos and lack of explanation. The sci fi fantasy of the film is great as well as the suburban satire. Read too much into it, you might enjoy it less. To me though, the film seems to be a happy accident, as Richard Kelly, in all his indulgences, hasn't reproduced this kind of magic. It's a special near perfect film that loses its enjoyment with too much analysis.