Review of Requiem for a Dream (2000) by Auli H — 07 Jul 2014

Having already proved to be a promising director with Pi, Aronofsky follow up Requiem for a Dream, continues to show that he is one of the most promising directors of the 2000's.

Sara Goldfarb is a widow who spends all her day watching her favorite TV game show until one day she receives a call that invites her to participate in that program, after this, she becomes obsessed in regaining her younger appearance and to wear a dress she wore in her son's graduation. To accomplish this goal, she starts taking amphetamine pills despite the warnings of her son Harry. Harry is a young junkie that hangs out with his junkie best friend Tyrone and his also junkie girlfriend, Marion. In order to support their habits and to accomplish their own individual dreams, they enter the drug market but as we all now, when you enter the drug world, there is no safe way out of it.

With the name "Requiem for a Dream" you know you are about to watch a depressive film, so if you like films that are funny and happy entertainment, I recommend that you skip this one. The story is not the typical "drug story", it has 4 perspectives of how drugs affect life, each with their story arc. The script makes you fell for this characters that are well developed. Aronofsky's direction is really what makes this film that memorable and efficient; the fast and short montages, the extreme closeups, the tracking shots and the use and timing of that phenomenal score (specially the use of Lux Aeterna) are what makes this film so effective. And of course, the acting is at the same level as the directing, with Ellen Burstyn stealing the show, the biggest surprise being Marlon Wayans giving a grounded and actually good performance (first and last, in my opinion).

Undeniably one of the greatest film of the last decade, a must see, specially for teenagers (this is more effective than the "antidrug campaigns" the give in highschool).