Speechless

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2006)

I almost never give a movie a 10 out of 10. If any movie I have ever seen deserves it, it is Requiem for a Dream. I had heard all the hype about this movie prior to seeing it. About its intensity, about the infamous final scene.... everything. Consequently, I expected to be let down. This was ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE. Requiem's ferocity is not due to explicit drug use, but to its intense depiction of the effects. The film follows the dark journey of a lonely widow named Sarah Goldfarb (Burstyn), her son Harry (Leto)and his two friends (Connelly and Wayans) as they struggle with drug addiction/ achieving their respective dream in a dismal Coney Island backdrop. The dismal tone of the opening scene with Harry and his mother set the stage for a film that, if anything, shows the devastating and indomitable control drugs can have on a person's life. Whether they are together or separate, Aronofsky intertwines the experiences of each character so brilliantly and artistically that I was almost unconscious in terms of the transition between scenes; they seem to bleed into each other. The camera work and ultra-fast montages don't come off as abrasive or excessive.... they left me breathless.
Each character in the story has a dream. They look to drugs to help themselves get there, and in doing so lose sight of the fact that everything they truly desire is right there in front of them. There are several moments to the film where I found myself frustrated with the characters. Why can't they open their eyes? Drugs. That's why, and like the characters in the movie, Aronofsky's brilliant direction leaves us feeling helpless.
The characters are enthralling, despite screen time being divided up. Harry (Leto) is the central character because of his direct relationship to each protagonist, and the plays the role unbelievably, seemingly with ease. Ellen Burstyn shines as Sarah, taking on a challenging role at her age that certainly doesn't pull any punches. Connelly is convincing, seductive and gorgeous, so appealing at times that it's almost understandable why Harry seems to think hes unworthy of her. Wayans' role is the most minor of the four, yet he exudes the desperation of addiction as well as anyone else.
When I see a movie, I often ask myself "Could anyone have played these roles better than the casted actors?" To me, this movie answers that question with an emphatic "NO." These actors absolutely nailed these parts to the floor. They convey their pain with such conviction that it's difficult not to squirm.
When the movie ended, I turned to my friends who had already seen it. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and shake my head. LITERALLY, I swear. Never had a movie left me so literally speechless. This movie will stay with you, haunt you, lift you up, drag you down, and hit you where it hurts. Its a film about false promises, the pursuit of a dream, and the crash landing that drugs bring to such a journey. Go out. Rent it. Right now. It will change you, I promise.