Refreshing

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2002)

Every now and then a moviegoer needs to be throttled and jolted into the realm of 'something different', where old preconceptions of what makes a piece of cinema great are shaken and new ideas form. For me, Requiem was just such a movie. This is not a happy, heroic, inspiring movie. It's gritty, nauseating, and visceral. And that's what it should be. This movie, to me, is about void. Complete apathy mixed with despair, and occasionally glimpsed moments of hope. On a less pedantic note, I simply think the cinematography, direction, editing, and most of all the performances in Requiem are just great. Here, in particular, we see Marlon Wayans escape the confines of just being a 'funnyman', we see Jennifer Connelly prove without question that she's a strong talent (just now being really recognized by the industry, prior to this she had some real token-female roles), we see Jared Leto prove he's not a pretty-boy...and then there's Ellen Burstyn, a remarkable actor inexplicably kept from Academy Award glory (for what it's worth). This is probably my favorite movie. I have voted another movie or two higher (I voted this movie at an 8), but that is because with those I could repeatedly view them...Requiem gets to me, under my skin, enough that I can only watch it every now and then. Enjoy!