Mesmerizing

Rating: Null/10 (29 June 2000)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, who made a name for himself in 1998 with his art house success Pi, Requiem for a Dream is virtually a continual montage which apparently has more single cuts than any mainstream feature ever made.
Comparable to a cinematic fireworks show (with a grand finale included), it is distinguished by an unexpectedly poignant center, the hopes and dreams of a pitiable group of drug addicts longing for a better life. Ellen Burstyn, who's been erroneously ignored by Hollywood lately, is heartbreaking as a bleary-eyed Brooklynite who, in the movie's only tranquil scene, sobs about her fruitless quest for happiness.
Yet even she is at the mercy of the film's visual style, a clobbering assault on the senses that makes the experience of watching it nearly interactive. The Magnolia of 2000, which, depending on your taste, could be a good thing or a bad one.