Watch this Movie

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2006)

I'm not sure I've ever read the phrase "downward spiral" more times than I have in these reviews, so I will do what I can not to use it. Having said that, Requiem is probably the one of, if not the most, impactive films I have ever seen. Its style and its content are both top notch.
A Warning: I watched this film for the first time in broad daylight with a group of friends in college. The mood (among those who viewed the film) was upbeat at the beginning. Having heard a lot about the film before we watched it, we all thought we were prepared for what we were about to experience. I will only say that after the credits rolled (and I sat in silence with 8 or 10 of my friends for probably 5 minutes) I promptly stood up and walked out the door without a word and went home.
Part of the reason I was personally affected by the film was that I had a very strong empathy where Ms. Burstyn's character was concerned. She reminded me intensely of my own mother. Watching her transformation was incredibly difficult. It is usually assumed that drugs were the cause of each of the 4 characters' downfalls. Contrary to this opinion, I found that Mrs. Goldfarb's particular descent was caused instead by loneliness. Her son's willful neglect for her (epitomized in the scene that finds him crying in a cab after his visit) brought the elder Goldfarb to a state of mind in which the adoring attention of a television audience was her ultimate goal. She needed approval from somewhere.
The darkness that slowly envelopes each character creeps into the viewers subconscious throughout the film. The knowledge that things are turning bad slips slowly into the film until, finally, it's too late. Rarely has a film ever brought this bleakness so clearly into focus for me. I was ashamed of myself, as ridiculous as that sounds.
The most powerful scene of the film was, for me, the last encounter with Jennifer Connelly's character. Curled up on her couch with the spoils of the previous night's 'efforts', she smiles like a child being held by her mother. I wanted to be repulsed, instead I was sympathetic.
Although you will find people who have seen this movie and do not really 'feel' it the way I did, it's been my experience that most are truly moved (but usually not in a positive way). You WILL feel empty. You WILL fell dejected, but most of all you will be glad you watched it.