A Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (20 August 2009)

Donnie Darko is one of the most unique and fascinating films I have ever had the pleasure of watching. I watched it for the first time around two years ago, and since then it has not lost it's power. Richard Kelly is a true genius. He has a lot of interesting ideas and he lets them through in his first film. His writing is incredible. He blends in a lot of ideas with science-fiction and religion. The reason I have such a special bond with this film is because of the characters. Theya re intriguing, and Kelly really explores every aspect of a human mind and every emotion there is, even literally. I thought the film had a lot of similarities with American Beauty, as in the strange guy and his relationship, and a lot of the family aspects of the film are similar. Sadly, only American beauty is the film that got the attention when it came out, but I am glad this film has such a strong reputation now. It is wonderfully shot, and it is one of the most thought-provoking films I have ever seen. While I also love Kelly's sophomore film, Southland Tales quite a lot, Donnie Darko will always be his best. The performances in the film are extraordinary. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a very eerie and special performance, and I thought Mary McDonnell's portrayal as the mother was the second best performance in the film. The scene where Donnie asks her how it feels to have a wacko as a son, and her response, perfect! The whole cast is great. I think the reason the film works so well is because it as a mood unlike any other film. It has a very slow, somber, mellow mood to it, and together with the creative scenes involving the Bunny Rabbit, it creates a sort of thriller sci-fi drama.
Overall, this is one of the key films in my long list of films I have seen. In my Top 20 of all time, and just a powerful, very affecting film that will never leave me.