Not easy. Engulfing. Bleak beyond compare. Wildy effective.

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2000)

_Requiem for a Dream_ makes _Pi_ look like a children's movie. I can't believe what I have just seen: a story well-told using the illusions possible in film as an active part of the narration. It's not a story about addiction: It's an experience of addiction.
I noticed several times that I was sitting with my jaw hanging open as I followed the story from summer to winter. The characters' lives are so screwed up that spring is not possible. The bathos of finding a future satisfying for the younger characters is unimaginable.
I loved the film even though it was the most disturbing film I have ever seen. It's not a ride in the park, and it's not dark like _The Piano_ was dark. Not even close. Don't take friends unless you know they like high style and can handle bleakness. Most people will leave the theatre if this is not their cup of tea.