This film stinks

Rating: 1/10 (31 May 2004)

I'm not too sure why people rave about this film. Don't get me
wrong, I'm all for open-ended narrative structures. It's just that I'd
like to see some intelligence behind the movie, that's all.
From the opening shot we are subjected to cliche after cliche. The
disturbed, angst ridden teenager; the middle-class suburbia (a
sure sign of American horror/suburban fantasy) with its' leafy
avenues; the pretty girlfriend who understands Donnie; the awful
soundtrack... the list could go on.
The main character just is not engaging enough for me to believe
in his world. The actor is atrocious - his attempt at capturing angst
is delivered in a monoscopic performance whereby lowering his
head and looking out from under his singular haircut means he
must be a tortured soul. Awful. Just plain awful.
And the rabbit? There's a gaping hole in the plot (is there a plot
amidst all the gaudy visuals?) whereby Donnie could never have
met the rabbit/human - see if you can work it out. Or perhaps that's
the director being clever. Who knows? I suspect no one in this
ridiculous farrago did.
And just one last diatribe. Just who on earth would call their son
Donald Darko? From the title, I knew this film would reek of self
indulgent twaddle. I was proved right.