DOES NOT DESERVE THE HYPE

Rating: 2/10 (11 December 2003)

I've heard quite a few people comparing this film to the 'sixth sense', the 'usual suspects', 'Open your eyes' and the likes. What they have in common is (obviously) that the end changes the whole film and makes you understand it. I just think this doesn't work at all with Donnie Darko. The problem is that our interest has to be kept until the surprising end, and mine did certainly not bear with Donnie. it's just not enough to show a countdown to make me really interested in knowing what will happen at the end of it. I wouldn't say I hated the film, there were some good and very funny moments in it, but not enough not to make me annoyed with it. Also, I felt it lacked to comment on the things it was depicting. The American-High School-Not So Feel Good-Setting with the contrast between the two teachers was not developed at all, and at some points during the film I just thought I might not have been getting it because of cultural differences (but I was assured by some American friends that that's not the case:-)) All in all, I think it's VERY overrated. Not a bad film, but why the hype???