An excellent *tragedy*

Rating: Null/10 (31 March 2002)

(If you haven't yet seen this film but plan to and prefer to be completely surprised, my comments may tell you more than you'd want to know. I don't give away the ending here, but I tell you what to expect.)
"Requiem" is a Tragedy. It's meant to absorb the viewer into the sufferings of the characters, to tug at the human heart. If you're familiar with "tragedy" as a style (my only experiences with tragedies were in high school English/Literature classes), then you know that they can't be judged by the same criteria you'd use to judge a typical drama. You'll probably guess how things will turn out in the end pretty early on. You won't expect some surprise-ending with a last-minute miracle to make things right again. You don't expect an *original* progression of events... you know that the character's lives will go from good to bad to worse. If you're the type of person who empathizes with characters, you'll know you're going to be saddened by the end. You'll wish the characters' lives could again be like they were at the beginning of the film -- you're going to feel for them and it's going to hurt.
As far as tragedies go, I think Requiem is excellent. I'd recommend it to anyone who is empathic by nature. If you liked the darkness of Fight Club... if you could appreciate the disturbing nature of Trainspotting... if you liked the directional style of Snatch (the closest thing I've seen)... basically, if you like some of the weirder ones, this movie is for you. (BE SURE to get the DVD and watch the bonus interview with the author, titled "Memories, Dreams, and Addictions.")
If you don't like the weirder ones, see it anyway. It gets progressively more dark and disturbing with each development in the storyline... it's not like everything else that comes out of Hollywood. Tragedy is a powerful style that is guaranteed to produce a reaction deep within you.
Just don't judge it like a typical drama.