Heartbreakingly incredible

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2004)

Requiem for a Dream is an incredibly unique film. Not just because of it's subject matter (drug use is hardly infrequent in films these days), but because of the feeling it gives the viewer during and for a long time after the film has ended.
The best word to describe Requiem is 'heartbreaking'. It is shocking, disturbing, moving and heartbreaking. I won't give too much away but the feeling you get once the film has ended is one of extreme emptiness. I didn't know how to feel after the first time I'd watched it. I cried like a baby, but I felt more than just sadness. The second time I watched it, I watched the first fifteen minutes of the film and then the last fifteen minutes. The contrast is incredible, and it was this that made me feel so empty.
The acting is amazing. Marlon Wayans was excellent in a serious role, Jared Leto was perfect as Harry, who wants to do right by his loved ones and get rich at the same time. Jennifer Connelly portrays strong-willed Marion, who ultimately loses her dignity to get her fix. One of the most shocking things other than the film itself is the fact that Ellen Burstyn was overlooked for the Best Actress Oscar. How the Academy could have thought anyone gave a better performance that year (or any other year for that matter) is beyond me. Her portrayal of Harry's desperately lonely mother is the key to this film being so powerful.
Requiem for a Dream is a tragic film that grabs your emotions from the very beginning, takes them on a roller-coaster, then squeezes the life out of them before battering them to a pulp. The most incredible, breathtaking and ultimately heartbreaking film I've ever seen, and one that will remain at the top of my favourite films list for a long time to come. You may not be able to watch it more than once but I urge anyone to rent it out and give yourself the cinematic experience of a lifetime.