a turning point

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2003)

from the first two minutes, you know what we have here is a different kind of picture. the split screen, the drama, the optimism. something, somewhere is gonna go wrong, and we are all gonna be dragged down with it. then the score kicks in over the arty still shots of the beach area. it's a magnificent start. aronofsky knows how to tell a story. going back and forth being each little tale with a simplicity so reassuring, you can just fall back and watch, without having to scratch your head with where you are at. his visual techniques may not be totally unique and original but in the context he uses them in, and the rapid fire approach in which they happen, it becomes truly hypnotising. and the score just adds to the hallucinations you are seeing on screen. ultimately yes, it's depressing. characters downward spiralling towards a doom they cant stop becomes difficult to watch, but difficult to take your eyes from. and the drama becomes more and more intense as the movie draws to it's eye blinding, fit inducing climax. a solid script with flexible and assured direction is all brought to head with the performances. jared leto has never been or looked better. jennifer connely is beautifully tortured as the fix needing girlfriend. marlon wayans, in a dramatic turn for him, does superbly well, and a big cheer for ellen burstyn who portrays sara goldfarb with enormous conviction.
a difficult film but one worth anyones time.