The equivalent of paying someone to kick you in the teeth...in a good way.

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2005)

I had the fortune of seeing this in the theatres and felt absolutely terrible as I left theatre, both physically and emotionally drained. Having since purchased the DVD, it is the one I watch the least, although it is still one of the most important films in my collection, if not for its message, but in the way the message is conveyed.
The transformation of each characters is heartbreaking to behold. Starting off with MTV-esquire reckless abandon, the characters quickly go into a year-long tailspin in which there is no hope for redemption.
The cast makes this one work. Despite their weaknesses, they are all people that you can relate to. Best friends, lovers, mothers, sons. Ellen Burstyn gets a lot of praise for her work, but all major players (Shawn Wayans, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly) all deserve praise for taking on such material and the way they do it.
On a technical note, the film is brilliant. Editing that would normally be headache inducing under any other director works for this film.
Although you cannot watch, you cannot look away.