One of a kind.

Rating: 8/10 (19 June 2008)

So many drug-related films (Traffic, Blow) have come out in the past year that I've started to get them confused. But this one tops them all. Ellen Burstyn's performance is absolutely mind-boggling. The scene where she dances around in the clown makeup and the red dress is chilling. I can't imagine the depths of her soul that she had to reach to get this performance, and it is an absolute travesty that she didn't win the Best Actress for it. Jennifer Connolley does a great job as well- this woman is seriously underrated. The scene where she tears apart the apartment looking for a fix conveys desperation like you rarely see on screen. I love how Aronofsky makes you get close to the characters, but not *too* close...and how his directing and editing mimics the descent into hell. This is a depressing film- the characters are sad, desperate, and pathetic, yet we still have empathy for them, no matter how despicable or disgraceful their behavior becomes. A truly unique film experience.