Should Be Required Viewing

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2006)

After watching this for first time, I thought to myself, "Wow, with some appropriate editing, this ought to be required viewing for high school students as it's probably one of the best "anti-drug" presentations one could ever see.
Young filmmaker Darren Aronofsky takes a depressing subject and makes it fun to watch, if that's possible. However, I'm speaking in general terms because - warning - a couple of scenes are anything but fun to view. Aronofsky uses stop- action/fast forward techniques, sound effects, hallucination scenes, etc. all to make this a good movie for the senses.
Ellen Burstyn is outstanding in this film and many people who viewed this thought she should have won an Academy Award for her performance. Boy, if she doesn't scare you away from taking diet pills, nobody can. She's the only one in this film that is actually fun to watch. Jennifer Connelly can be one easily ogled by us guys but she plays so many sleazy, unlikeble roles, it's tough to warm up to her.
Jared Leto, meanwhile, does his best to show us the horrors of what could happen when you hooked on junk which involves needles. In the last 30 minutes there are a few horrifying parts as Leto's infected arm gets worse and worse. People who have seen this film know what I'm talking about, It is grim, very grim but maybe that's what all of us need to see once in awhile.
To watch Bursteyn and Leto slowly disintegrate is unforgettable and for Aronofsky to make this watchable was quite a feat. But for the grace of God, as it is said, one of these characters could be us.