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Requiem for a Dream
Movie Stats & Links |
| Starring: |
Ellen Burstyn,
Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans |
| MPAA Rated: |
Not Rated but for
adults only. |
| Released By: |
Artisan
Entertainment |
| Web Site: |
www.requiemforadream.com |
| Kiddie Movie: |
Probably not,
although they might think twice about doing drugs. |
| Date Movie: |
She'll be grossed
out. |
| Gratuitous Sex: |
Yes, but in an
artsy way. |
| Gratuitous
Violence: |
Some killing but I
was disappointed. |
| Action: |
Nah. |
| Laughs: |
Nah. |
| Memorable
Scene: |
Harry shooting up
into his infected arm. |
| Memorable
Quote: |
None. |
| Directed By: |
Darren Aronofsky |
| Produced By: |
Eric Watson,
Palmer West |
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Requiem for a Dream
A Movie Review |
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So Stu hears this reviewer on the radio talk about
"Requiem for a Dream." He said something like it was the
most disturbing movie he has ever seen, that it took him twenty
minutes to compose himself before he could leave the theater, blah,
blah, blah. With that kind of review I was looking for quality
violence, and from the sign in the theater that due to graphic
sexual scenes no one under 17 would be admitted, things were really
looking up for this film. But after seeing the movie both Stu and I
decided that the reviewer was a pussy and the graphic sex scene just
made me dizzy. "Requiem for a Dream" is a disturbing
movie, but I was more emotionally uncomposed after "Saving
Private Ryan" than this movie. "Requiem…" is a good
movie, especially in an artsy way, and I must say that I’m glad I
went because just the other day I was considering shooting up heroin
and taking diet pills. After seeing the movie I think I’ll just
stick to chocolate.
"Requiem for a Dream" is a look at how drugs, whether
illegal or prescribed, can fuck up your life. We get Harry (Jared
Leto) and Tyrone (Marlon Wayans in a great role), two street dudes
dreaming of a better life if they can get their hands on some good
stuff to sell on their own. Harry’s mom, Sara (Ellen Burstyn), is
sort of an enabler for her son, letting him sell her TV to a pawn
dude then her buying it back, but she has her own problem – losing
weight so she can fit in her favorite red dress for when she gets to
be on TV. Harry’s main problem is that he forgot the main rule if
you want to make it in the drug business – don’t get high on
your own supply. Tyrone is a little bit smarter, but neither of them
plan for when their supply train runs short. Harry and his woman,
Marion (Jennifer Connelly), get totally hooked, Tyrone goes back to
just trying to survive, but then Harry and Tyrone convince
themselves that they’ve got to get to Florida if they want their
chance to make it. They get a little sidetracked when Harry’s
infected arm derails them at a hospital and then jail, and Marion,
who had her own dream of opening a clothing design store, finds her
dreams shattered when she needs her next fix and the only way to get
it is to do sexual favors for the only dude in New York who still
has any supply.
Then there’s mom. So desperate is she to loose weight that she
heads to a quack doctor who is dispensing diet pills, basically
uppers, and mom becomes hooked. We get to see her downward spiral as
she won’t eat, loses the weight, but then hallucinates as the
drugs take hold of her life. She ends up in shock therapy in a
mental ward because she won’t eat.
All of these stories are shown in an artsy way, with quick clips
of lighters, blood flow, dilating pupils, and the like as our cast
of characters shoot up. And yes, the movie is disturbing, showing in
a real light how drug addictions can make your life spiral out of
control, but I already knew these things so even though I did cringe
when Harry was shooting the needle in his infected arm, I just left
the movie happy I’m not a drug addict, won’t be trying diet
pills, and disappointed that it didn’t take me twenty minutes to
compose myself.
The movie did teach me a few things. Rule #1: If I ever become a
drug dearer, don’t get high on my own supply. Rule #2: If I’m
taking diet pills and the refrigerator starts to jump and groan at
me, well, it’s time to stop. I hope I never need these rules.
As an art movie "Requiem for a Dream" does its job. It
is dark, it won’t make you laugh, and will make you think. As
entertainment it just fell a little flat for me because, yes, I was
looking for quality violence (both Stu and I expected a gang war
blood bath to rival the opening of "Saving Private Ryan"),
and the spinning sex scene was just dizzying and made me almost
throw up my popcorn.
I’ll give "Requiem for a Dream" 4 stars out of 5 as
an artistic movie, but I don’t think most of anyone will want to
see this movie nor make it all the way through without walking out.
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!! |
