Donnie Darko
D. Richard Kelly
Saturday/ Sunday
1:30, 9:45 p.m.
21+ after 4 p.m.
If you open your eyes and take a look around, a real look around, you will see that all those nutty street preachers were right. The world is going to hell. We live in a materialistic, plastic world, with a society that has the depth of a kiddy pool. Take for example films nowadays.
We have “Not Another Teen Movie” racking up tens of millions of dollars and everyone thinks that’s fine and dandy. It’s like the old, obscenely wealthy white men that are in charge of making these movies are sitting up in their skyscrapers laughing at us and what we will eat.
These movies they make are nothing more than big, juicy turds that are wrapped in a “hip,” “in yo’ face,” “make-up model with shit-for-brains and no acting skills to speak of, but she’s got a tight ass, plastic nose and a load of cleavage to show off,” shiny package and we line up like cattle to see these movies. Mmmmmmmm, can I have another shitty-ass movie please, sir?
Thank sweet, sweet baby Jesus that we have people like Richard Kelly, Richard Kelly quite possibly created the year’s best film. “Donny Darko” is an adventure in filmmaking. The film was made for crumbs compared to major motion releases and stifles them in creativity, depth and intelligence.
The movie takes place over a 30-day time span in October 1988 in what looks to be an affluent suburb in California. It’s just another ordinary day in the life of teen-aged Donnie Darko’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) existence. He takes his medication for his “alleged” schizophrenia and watches the Dukakis and Bush debate, in the upstairs bedroom of his parent’s home.
Then comes an outrageous accident. Out of the blue, a 2,000-pound jet engine plummets from the sky and crashes into Donny’s bedroom, shaking the house and bringing his family to their knees. Donnie isn’t in bed, why? He begins to explore what forces and predestination pulled him from his room moments before the accident.
The film explores what it means to still be alive, and in short order, to be in love. Donny horrifically uncovers secrets of the universe that give him a tempting power to alter time and destiny. Is it his mental disorder that allows him to do this or has he uncovered another dimension?
Gyllenhaal gives us a frightening look at what it feels like to go mad. His performance is authentic and moving and, if the masses would pull their heads out of their asses and get out of J-Lo’s new movie line and see this film, will give him quite a name for himself as a heavy hitting actor.
This film has a great soundtrack to boot, including Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division and the tear-jerking final song by Mad World. The last two minutes of this film will blow your little mind.
The cast in this film is perfect from head to toe. We’ve got the triumphant return of, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Patrick Swayze. This character was written for him, it fits him like a glove – he’s so cheesy, he’ll drip off your plate. Drew Barrymore has a small role in this film and from what I hear is the main producer, financing it out of her own pocket. If she keeps picking winners like this to invest time and money in, she has a bright future in making quality films.
In this messy world of capitalism gone wrong you must support the people that don’t abuse us like those wealthy pigs in Hollywood do by feeding us crappy plots and immature sex scenes. There is hope after all, and we will just have to see what kind of character this country has. Stand in line for this movie and say, “Hey I am not going to put up with your shit anymore Mr. Dreamworks and Mr. Disney.”