Frustrating. Inaccessible. But brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (24 October 2007)

Donnie Darko may be the cultiest film to emerge this side of the millennium. It did disastrously at the box-office, leaving many people unsure how to take its far out ideas and blinding layers of surrealism. But that hasn't prevented it from becoming a highly regarded cult classic. Many people enjoy deconstructing its messages and possibilities, and it became so popular that just three years later a Director's Cut was released. It's that resonant with people.
DD is a difficult film to write a review about. I'm uncertain how to put it into words because I don't want to get this wrong. It's a film that changes my perceptions with every viewing. When I first saw it, I quite enjoyed its wealth of ideas. But on subsequent viewings, it didn't seem as satisfying and makes less sense the more times its watched. But that doesn't change the fact it has a rich and varied screenplay. I didn't always know what DD was, but it never ceased to amaze me.
DD is the type of film David Lynch might have dreamt up. There does seem something Lynchian to its storytelling. Eccentric smalltown folk. A layer of bizarreness that hovers around the narrative and eventually punctuates it. And most importantly, the sly dissection of smalltown America.
Jake Gyllenhaal is Donnie Darko, and in an opening that mirrors the beginning of Lynch's Blue Velvet, Donnie is found waking up in the middle of a country road. His bike is off to the side. He smirks and moves off back into town.
DD is set in the October of 1988. Donnie is an outspoken young man with deep emotional problems. His psychiatrist Dr Thurman (Katharine Ross) is making little headway with him. And he has the disturbing habit of avoiding taking his medication.
One night, Donnie dreams about a giant rabbit called Frank. When Donnie dreams, he sleepwalks. He goes outside. Frank is waiting, and informs him the world will end in a month. Just as Donnie learns this, an engine turbine from a passing plane crashes through his bedroom. This one bizarre accident sets off a chain reaction of increasingly odd events. All the while the countdown to the end of the world continues.
DD is one of the most unusual films I've seen in a long time. It's not always clear what director Richard Kelly is trying to say with his debut feature, but his direction is engaging enough to keep you involved throughout this bizarre but often quite fascinating film.
If the film's intentions are not always clear, the fine cast helps to breathe life into it. Why Jake Gyllenhaal ever agreed to sign onto to such an unusual film is frankly a mystery but his performance really can't be faulted. Gyllenhaal is certainly an actor with a future, but I think he works best when he's served by a strong screenplay. I still have yet to decide if DD's script is as profound as it's made out to be, but there must have been something that attracted Gyllenhaal to it. And he makes the most of his screen time.
Donnie's unravelling mental state is very ably communicated by Gyllenhaal. His insolent attitude is quite startling on occasion. And the role of DD is certainly unusual. I mean the very idea of a boy's dreams of a giant rabbit making dire prophecies about the end of the world is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows. But somehow Gyllenhaal pulls it off admirably and brings lots of interesting ambiguities to the scenario. Is it all true, or just the overactive imagination of a very disturbed young man?
Richard Kelly supports Gyllenhaal with an imaginatively chosen cast. At the head of the line is Jena Malone as Gretchen, the new girl in school and Donnie's (sort of) girlfriend. She brings a tough, forthright attitude that matches Gyllenhaal's every bizarre step of the way.
And then there's Drew Barrymore as Karen, a freethinking teacher at Donnie's school. I'm not convinced Drew Barrymore is all that much of an actress. But I enjoyed her performance here. Karen's independent thinking is quite well suited to Barrymore's often aloof style of acting. It's the first time I've ever perked up whenever she's around.
And you mustn't miss Patrick Swayze's hilarious turn as a self-important motivational speaker. His speeches about the polar opposites between love and fear are very amusing. Donnie's cynical debates over Swayze's life plans are fun to watch too. This may be the closest thing to a good performance Patrick Swayze has ever done.
DD is a film rich in ideas. It touches base with many radical concepts. From time-travel to parallel realities and even the life-paths of each individual person. Its certainly nice to see a film in this day and age with more than one idea in its head. But sometimes DD feels like it has one idea too many. Which only adds further complications to an already unclear screenplay.
I was never exactly sure what new direction the film was going to pull me in next. Or even what Frank is supposed to represent. And then there's the ending. DD has a finale so mind-bending I wasn't sure if it was conceptual brilliance or purely a screenwriter's cop-out.
But nonetheless, I'm giving DD 10/10. If its a film that doesn't always make narrative sense, it at least succeeded in making me think. Quite a bit actually. The different avenues it chooses to explore are never less than fascinating. Its got a wonderful selection of the 80s greatest hits to sift through. And the cast add so much drive and energy that you can't help but be swept along. This film may always be an eternal mystery, but it's that element that makes Donnie Darko so fascinating to behold.