 |
|
|
Requiem for a Dream by Daniel Papkin After winning Best Director at Sundance with the impressive and cerebral Pi, the talented young director Darren Aronofsky focuses on the needs and betrayals of the less rarefied organs in his second feature, Requiem for a Dream. Adapted from Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1978 novel about junkies on Coney Island by Aronofsky and Selby himself, the film traces without flinching the arc of addiction from its escapist beginnings to its inevitable, all-too-real devastations. At least the camera does not flinch. The impressive array of digital effects and the innovative manner in which the director uses them ensure that even the most jaded viewer will be treated to something he or she cannot bear to watch. And I mean that as a compliment. The story focuses on young junky Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto), whose dream of making it big through street dealing with his best friend, Tyrone C. Love (Marlon Wayans), is further fueled by his burgeoning romance with neglected beauty, Marion Silver (Jennifer Connelly). PAGE 1 | 2 |
 |
|
|
While Harry pursues his entrepreneurial dreams, his mother (Ellen Burstyn in a virtuoso performance) struggles obsessively with her weight after being offered a spot as a game show contestant. When she turns to diet pills to aid her cause, it is not only the pounds that melt away, but also her tenuous hold on reality. Things swerve similarly nightmarish for Harry, Tyrone and Marion when a gap in their supply line causes them to turn on each other with tragic, heartbreaking consequences. It is a credit to all involved that this somewhat familiar tale never devolves into cliché or facile sentimentality. All the actors are dead-on and powerfully convey their characters' humanity and desperation with restrained, layered performances, even when burdened with dialogue that seems better pitched to the page than the screen. Which is not to say the film is without fault. There are moments when the gadgetry overwhelms the action, and the use of the Kronos Quartet's angular music had me wondering when Janet Leigh was going to enter and commence showering. Most other production elements are top-notch, however, with especially fine contributions from editor, Jay Rabinowitz, and director of photography, Matthew Libatique. What did you think of this movie? Sound off in the Movie Forum. PAGE 1 | 2 |