Great piece of cinema

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2002)

Aronofsky's "Requiem..." is a beautiful piece of filmmaking. I was impressed by the camerawork of Matthew Libatique - his work is always strong (ie, Tigerland). The solid performances of Burstyn, Leto, Connelly and Wayans (in a rare dramatic appearance) make these pathetic characters seem more real. I know Ellen Burstyn was nominated for the Best Actess Oscar, but there should be an Academy Award category for Best Ensemble Cast. This crew could have won hands down. This movie should be shown to all 7th graders across the nation in an effort to keep youngsters off of drugs. Liberal cry-baby parents would most certainly complain, but this film could be more effective at keeping kids off drugs than D.A.R.E. could ever hope to be. The chilling score sets the mood for the what should go down in history as the one of the most brave pieces of filmmaking from the early 20th century.