Donnie Darko is an interesting film,but still has it's problems

Rating: 7/10 (1 April 2005)

First off I think this was one of the better films I have seen in my life(and I have seen some bad ones). What I really liked about the movie was Jake Gyllenhaal's performance. Jake really nails his performance by not being too subtle, but not chewing the scenery at the same time. Patrick Swayze also did a good job as the very lame Jim Cunninghan(who is made real because there are really people who put on bad shows like that). Frank(James Duval),the bunny, was a very weird ,mysterious, and creepy character. Always when Frank left I anticipated his return. The rest of the cast was good.
There are still some problems with the film. One is there are too many 'symbols' and 'meanings' to keep track off. Richard Kelly just puts in a lot of people and events to try and make the movie more philosophical but just ends creating problems with the flow of the story. Like having it being about an alienated teen, time travel, and having faith in God. Jolene Purdy's character(Cherita Chen) was almost completely pointless and if she was taken out of the movie out it would not have made a difference(I think Jolene Purdy is a capable actress, just underused). It just makes the story overblown with ideas that Richard Kelly should save for another movie. Another is that some scenes just end too quickly. Yes, I know it is used to create suspense,but it just ends up being pointless. Also the ending didn't make much sense. So it is a flawed but good film.
Recommended films that make you think:
Vertigo
Citizen Cane
2001: A Space Odyssey(my personal favorite ever)
Apocalypse Now