Seductively depressing

Rating: Null/10 (6 October 2002)

Watching Requiem for a Dream for the first time was like no other helpless feeling of deprivation I have ever felt before. This is not a movie, but a film. Stunningly filmed and breathtakingly acted, director Darren Aronofsky deserves a kudos for this instant and timeless classic.
At first note on the film, one is drawn deeply into the life of four very close people with their own personal addictions. Most importantly is the love affair between Harry (Jared Leto) and Marion (Jennifer Connelly). Jared Leto's striking performance and Jennifer Connelly's best work to date consume you into a mix of passion and fury which comes at you hard and very personally. At first glance the film seems to be a well drawn "drug film" that glamorizes use, but in fact raises your spirits then drops them like a meteorite. The impact is a mix of emotions to great to express.
Of course to balance the act is Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) who gives an Oscar winning performance as Harry's television obsessed mother. Sara Goldfarb is someone we can all relate to in these schedulized, self-improved times in which popularity is everyone's addiction.
As a note to all who watch, Requiem for a dream is a shockingly realistic film that takes character and consumption to a worst cased scenario. Please watch with open mind and remember that as horribly shocking as it may be, this does not classify it as a poor quality film. In order for us all to know what it is truly like to feel emotionally pleased, we must all first know what it's like to feel emotionally un-pleased.
Watch with open mind, and it will make you open your eyes.