Review of Requiem for a Dream (2000) by Tommy H — 15 Apr 2015
I'm not really a fan of the movie. It reminds me of Fear And Loathing without the humor, without the likable characters, and the movie doesn't mean anything. It's the cinematic equivalent of an anti-drug PSA and has all the subtlety of Reefer Madness.
But as someone who appreciates the art of downer cinema I give the movie credit for having some of the most distressing scenes I've ever seen in a movie. It didn't effect me emotionally because I just didn't care about the characters.
It tries to pull a Martin Scorsese by showing us bad people who get it in the end, but Jared Leto and Marlon Wayans are no Robert DeNiro and Ray Liotta. This might sound cruel, but the film kind of reminds me of an Itchy And Scratchy cartoon.
Like I said, the exception are a few very pitiful scenes, but if you saw a real mouse chop up a real cat with a chainsaw you might find that a little more shocking. I think Aronofsky is overrated, but he's definitely a visionary.
In the future I think he'll be more known for his impact on movies in general than the movies themselves.
This review of Requiem for a Dream (2000) was written by Tommy H on 15 Apr 2015.
Requiem for a Dream has generally received very positive reviews.
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