Over the top, sad drug movie

Rating: 8/10 (9 January 2009)

This is one of the movies which are so depressing that it is not likely to be watched again by most people. The impact is in the over the top approach. I guess the over the top approach may be necessary in order to depict the life of drug addicts. The saddest story here is concerns an old woman. It was almost heartbreaking to watch the transformation from healthy woman to a drug addict.
The story is quite simple. The main characters are Harold Goldfarb, his girlfriend Marion, his friend Tyrone and his mother Sara Goldfarb. The movie spans the four seasons and show the transformation of the characters because of their drug addiction. The sad aspect is that they have dreams like regular people. Harold and Tyrone plan on selling drugs and earn enough to get the perfect drug. This plan ends in bigger problems. Sara goldfarb, on the other hand, takes to drugs for different reasons. She is plagued by loneliness and depression. Out of nowhere, she gets a call from a TV show and she gets excited. She starts eating diet pills in order to reduce her weight. This then causes more problems.
Ellen Burstyn's performance is one of the best I have ever seen. The portrayal of a lonely old woman who suddenly feels reenergised due to the drugs is absolutely amazing. I almost was in tears towards the end. It was great to watch the first few scenes where the boring routine of an old woman is portrayed perfectly. Jared Leto as Harold has also done well. He has expressive looks and his character seemed credible. The gorgeous Jennifer Connelly fit the role and her performance was great, yet I feel her character has not been explored much in this movie. Marlon Wayans as Tyrone is also top notch but I also feel his character has not been explored much. The most often mentioned praise about this movie is regarding the music. The background score by Clint Mansell is quite amazing, though I still prefer his score for the Fountain(That was beautiful!). Music is a big reason why this movie works as it is perfect for the tone and emotions in the movie. The last scene had some great music especially which effectively brings out the sadness and hopelessness of the characters. Darren Aronofsy deserves special praise for certain scenes which show the gradual degeneration of Sara Goldfarb. The orgy scene is also effectively done and the emptiness in Marion is shown effectively in these scenes.
I can't think of any negatives except for the over the top nature. I know the over the top necessary for drug movies. But I still don't have much of an affection for that style. It seems as if the director tried to force it into people's heads that drugs are harmful. Still it maybe necessary to highlight an evil which has been glorified by certain sections of pop culture.
8/10