Burstyn's performance will haunt you to the last tear jerking scene, possibly the strongest movie ever made

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2006)

**** Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Jennifer Connely, Christopher McDonald, Keith David, Louise Lasser. Directed by Darren Aronofsky
I'll start off by saying that "Requiem" is possibly the strongest, saddest and most well acted movie I've ever seen. I wish there were more adjectives for the word "astonishing" just so I could have more words to compliment Ellen Burstyn's captivating performance. Never in all of my life of watching movies have I felt so connected with the character study or let alone believe what is being done to these poor people.
The four stories of a few patrons in New York city consisting of an ailing, old mother Sara (Burstyn) and her dead beat, junkie son Harry (Leto), his pal Tyrone (Wayans, a surprisingly great performance) and Harry's lover Marion (Connely). When their drug addiction warps into something unimaginable it renders them helpless and scrounging for a way to live through the day with just one more taste of that sweet sweet drug they begin to crave.
Hubert Selby is a great writer, he did a well adapted screenplay of his book (which I am still reading). The lines are beautiful, everything down to that look on their faces when the realization of their dreams being crushed apart is there. And what is so shocking, what is so engaging of "Requiem" is that it is believable. I even began to care for them, for their lives and the effects on each action.
Aronofsky has met his high point, since "Pi" wasn't that great, but "Requiem" will be the one he'll be remember for. And Marlon Wayans who never astounded me, does a great job his character as well is played perfect. This is by far one of the best ensemble casts in a movie that all work well and function through out since I can remember.
And I have never been so outraged as when Burstyn did not win the Academy Award, those people must be out of their f@#&%ng minds to not see the beauty in her performance. This movie will in fact haunt you to the very last frame with Clint Mansell's "Summer Overture" playing in the background. Mansell's beautiful sounds add to the effect, making it a perfect tear jerker. And this is part of the very elite list of movies that made me come so close to actually shed tears at the sight and sound of the last scene. So in one word if I had to describe "Requiem", that would be REAL.