in a tangent universe, more people would know about and have seen this movie.

Rating: 10/10 (15 June 2004)

this is, so far, my favorite movie of the new millennium. it took me a few (2 or 3) repeat viewings to understand why some regard the young, troubled character as a superhero, but it doesn't change my opinion of the film. it just means i'm a little slow.
story: i guess it's a given that it's pretty much derivative, but the set-up, i think, is pretty original. this is probably prominently seen in again, donnie possessing "super powers", but also roberta sparrow's book. the intertwining of philosophy, science fiction, and a little bit of religion is well done.
acting: jake gyllenhaal is my favorite young actor right now. it's like when i saw tom hanks in big for the first time. he gives a great performance in this film as a socially-confused (well, schizophrenic) sixteen year old, resembling a young robert deniro hahahaha. anyway, the rest of the cast, the darkos and the supporting roles, also give very good performances to guide donnie to his destiny, if you would call it that. i'm kind of neutral about drew barrymore though.
direction: i was surprised when i was informed that this is the debut movie by richard kelly, a usc graduate, who also wrote AND directed the film. his style would make you think that he's actually been around for a while. you can see aspects of other classic movies in the film. i also like the way he keeps an ominous/apocalyptic atmosphere throughout the movie, even when it's at its light-hearted side.
visuals: i love the visuals in this film. for an independent movie, they're pretty well done, especially the solar plexus spears (maybe kelly's nod to james cameron's the abyss or something, i dunno). anyway, visually, the film is brilliant. the most memorable is the aero theater scene (titled frightmare fest or something on the DVD), which features sam raimi's the evil dead.
overall: a well-written, visually great film, donnie darko is probably one that few people have heard of and it's a big shame. it has enough heart and thought that can rival what are considered the best movies ever made and barely anyone has seen it. i think that it wouldn't appeal to some people though, especially the head-scratcher ending, and to these people, check-out the movie's official website. to those that have seen it, spread the word. this is a movie that begs to be heard.
(10 out of 10)