The best film of the new century.

Rating: 10/10 (6 June 2002)

Donnie Darko is a strange little movie. It has sealed a place at the top of my DVD rack with Requiem For a Dream, American Beauty, and Evil Dead 2.
There are so many wonderful things about this movie that I can't begin to list them all, but I'll list my favorites.
Donnie is a wonderful and brilliantly written character. If you didn't either identify with him, or like him, then the movie just isn't for you.

Richard Kelly did an amazing job of pulling mind-numbingly grand performances out of even the smallest characters. Cherita Chen, for instance, will stick with me forever. Mr. Kelly also did a wonderful job of writing what I think is the best script ever adapted to the big screen. Every character oozes personality, and you can tell that each one has a special place in his heart.
The toughest character for most people to wrap their heads around, it seems, would be Patrick Swayze's Jim Cunningham. I love this about his character. I also love that Mr. Swayze, after starring in movies like Road House, could bring out what he did to play Jim Cunningham so flawlessly.
Finally, I like the overwhelming feeling of hope that this movie gives the viewer. Not only for the future of independent film, but also for your own life. Donnie is such a wonderful person, that you're sad to see the movie end because you want to see more of him. However, that being true, I didn't feel let down for a second of this movie.
So don't listen to the trailers you've seen, or the reviews of people that just didn't understand it. Just see the movie and make your own conclusions.