Beautiful and heartbreaking

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2008)

As with other pieces of dark art, this is a film that only truly resonates with those have been consumed and devastated by addiction. That's not to say it wont affect people who aren't drug addicts (believe me it will); its effect just wont be quite as profound and close to home. The hopelessness and despair of Jennifer Connelly and Jared Leto's characters mirrored my own and I was amazed by how well this film captured the essence of life disintegrating into nothingness. The scene when Harry and Marion are talking on the phone knowing they will never see each other again just tears my heart out. The bittersweet music, the unspoken goodbye... it's so tragic. When the two elderly women had to hug each other after seeing Sara at the end, my eyes welled up with tears. I didn't find this film to be preachy or over the top, I think it's a brilliant example of art imitating life at its worst.