An interesting project that disappears up its creative arse

Rating: 3/10 (20 July 2009)

Don't get me wrong! Darren Aronofsky is a talented man. I adored The Wrestler and admired the squandered philosophising of The Fountain but this film, which was also my first contact with Aronofsky, is a train wreck.
It's a film that I can best describe as the cinematic equivalent to losing your soul. While some of the performances are admirable (particularly Ellen Burstyn and Marlon Wayans, who I had previously written off as the most untalented man in Hollywood) and some of the technical flourishes Aronofsky employs are impressive the problem is that there's too much flashing before your eyes to care about the characters.
One scene stays in my mind that I can't help but admire. A simple quiet scene between Mother and Son, with Aronofsky actually letting his cast do something that resembles a dramatic scene, but either side of it are just 100 minutes of untrained focus. Nothing is really given any weight or rather the weight of the message is diluted by technical trickery.
Watch Trainspotting instead with characters you care about, a story that is by turns tragic and equally hilarious, a brilliant script and performances that undeniably unique.
This is the US cutting-edge version of Danny Boyle's film - and guess what - its dull and ultimately depressing.