Lament for a movie industry - films as good as this, are too rare

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2002)

Darren Aronofsky followed his bleak, but excellently innovative `Pi', with this light-hearted (sarcasm) movie about the lives of three friends - Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto), Marion Silver (Jennifer Connelly), Tyrone Love (Marlon Wayans) and Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn). The plot's fairly simple - Harry, Marion and Tyrone lead simple, no-end lives dabbling in drugs. They now have a chance to sell a new drug and lead happy, carefree lives. Meanwhile Sara is about to appear on her favourite TV show and decides to lose a little weight so she can fit into her favourite red dress to look her best. Just to help her along she tries out a few new diet pills so as to speed up the process. Unfortunately things don't work out for the best here (they really really don't work out).
There's a reason this movie is placed so highly on IMDB. It's because it deserves to. Firstly there's the acting - everyone is great. That's without exception. Despite this being a very challenging and difficult movie, the Academy still managed to favour Burstyn with an Oscar nomination - the descent of her character from normal caring mother, to a lonely, broken woman with one goal in her life is heart wrenching and astonishingly well portrayed. Leto's character descends from carefree into a ragged, desperate man, with Leto's slim figure and dark, almost skeletal visage, perfect for the role of drawn out druggie. Connolly's desperation and need for escapism from her world, and the lengths she is willing to go to do this, can make the stomach twist, and the soul wince - whether it's the dead look in her eyes as she gives herself up to buy more drugs, or the frightening blankness as she experiences the high, she demonstrates the skill that led her to the only deserved Oscar for the derivative `A Beautiful Mind'. Even Wayans, a comedian by trade, works well here as the member of the trio with the most soul, and the greatest chance of redemption from their lives.
As good as the acting is, it's Aronofsky's talent that makes the movie superb. Some people may glibly dismiss the style as `MTV' which implies pointless camera work - and that would be an unfair abrupt conclusion. Aronofsky does employ a lot of trickery - cameras mounted on bodies, split screens, his trade-mark `hip hop' montage, fast edits (the most edits per minute of any movie nearly), et cetera but to an actual aim: the techniques enhance the story telling, rather than detract from it. For example the `hip hop' montage is a particular rapid sequence used throughout the movie that alters at certain junctures to indicate a change in pace or mood. The various camera angles allow us to get in right on top of the character, and their pain, with searing intensity - we're not allowed escape from their suffering just because we're a viewer. Aronofsky makes us care because the movie isn't a passive viewing experience - the viewer is roped into the scenes. A word must be mentioned about the pacing and mood of the movie - it's excellently done. The movie is split into three acts, represented by seasons, which reflect the protagonist's situation. Each act is scored beautifully by the Kronos Quartet. As the movie progresses the pace picks up, and the mood darkens, cumulating in a shocking and utterly harrowing finale, that still sticks with me well over a year on.

`Requiem for a Dream' is not an easy movie. It's challenging, harrowing, beautifully direct and acted. It's a movie that you will not forget after the movie because, unlike most of the produce of Hollywood today, it's filled with passion and innovation. It may have been over-looked by Hollywood but thankfully the reviewers here recognise it for the great piece that is. 100% recommended. 10/10.