"Destined to Become a Cult Favorite!" (Not a Spoiler!)

Rating: Null/10 (15 August 2004)

This has become one of my all time favorite flicks, even though I'm not
a fanatical about the fantasy or sci-fi genres. To genuinely appreciate
this film, you don't have to be either. It contains elements of drama,
comedy and romance that are as dominant and effective as any other.

This is the sparkling debut of young writer, director Richard Kelly as
his first feature length film. Along with being superbly written and
directed it is also very visual, as the cinematography is phenomenal.
Also, if you're into 80's music then you should love the soundtrack. As
if all this weren't enough, the film is also superbly cast.
Jake Gyllenhaal, who is fantastic in his portrayal of Donnie Darko,
became a household name and received considerably more notoriety for
his work in the more recent film "The Good Girl". This is unfortunate
considering "Donnie Darko" was a much better flick. Don't take my word
for it; consult the IMDb top 250 films. As of August 14, 2004, "Donnie
Darko" is ranked number 93, "The Good Girl", (which wasn't bad), doesn't
place in the top 250. Between his roles in these two films Gyllenhaal
managed to illustrate a substantial amount of versatility, although the
part of Darko seemed to be a significantly better fit for him.
Strangely, only the title role in this film can be specifically
categorized as a lead. However, the supporting cast lends as much to the
overall achievement of this piece as any I've ever seen. There are a
host of cast members, including Mary McDonnell, Jena Malone, Drew
Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Noah Wyle that play integral roles,
which are vital to the success of the film. A prime example is Patrick
Swayze's cameo in which he may have finally found his niche. He plays
the part of a Cheese Ball who turns out to be a Sleaze Ball. Who knows,
If he had confined himself to this type of role at the beginning of his
career he might have become one of my favorite actors.
One thing in particular that added to the ambiance of this flick, and
something that I found quite puzzling, is the fact that the story line
is based, in part, on time travel, and is set in 1988. Under normal
circumstances the basis for such an effect would be to allow some
portion of the story to relate to the present, (the time in which the
film was actually made). Here, this is not the case at all. The time
travel element, which is far from conventional, is based on a period of
less than a month. This is fascinating to me because when people watch
this film twenty years from now, and they will, most will automatically
assume that it was made in 1988, not 2001. In effect, Kelly has created
a period piece for no apparent reason.
I've encouraged a relatively significant number of people to watch this
movie and the results have been extraordinary. This may be the only
recommendation I've ever made to ten or more individuals without
receiving any negative feedback. Don't get me wrong, I have yet to boast
about the film to any of my associates who choose to confine their
viewing choices to the Lifetime Network.
Read the plot outline and if it doesn't impress you, force yourself and
watch it anyway. There's a good chance that you'll be pleasantly
surprised. I know I was!