Requiem for a Dream

Since watching Darren Aronofsky's brilliant indie flick Pi, this movie has been on my to-watch list. I finally did and...well, wow. I'm not the kind of person who generally has strong emotional responses to movies (only one movie has ever made me cry - and I watch a lot of depressing dramas) but this one, after it was over, left me shaking for a solid minute. Aronofsky manages to make every scene feel like the most important of the movie, but the climactic scene is so raw and powerful that, even though you'll want to look away, you won't be able to. This may just have usurped American History X as my favourite movie of all time. My grade: A+

Synopsis: Sara Goldfarb is a lonely widow who is revitalized by the prospect of appearing on television as a game show contestant, while her son Harry, his girlfriend Marion, and his friend Tyrone have devised an illicit shortcut to wealth and ease. Lulled by early successes, Sara, Harry, Marion and Tyrone convince themselves that unforeseen setbacks are only temporary. They ignore their deteriorating circumstances and focus all their energies on realizing their beautiful visions of the future. Even as the promise of fulfillment disappears to nothingness, they cling to the delusions that are slowly destroying their lives, denying reality until at last they are eye to eye with their worst nightmares. (via Yahoo)

Director: Darren Aronofsky (Pi)
Writers: Hubert Selby Jr. (Fear X) and Darren Aronofsky (Pi) based on Selby's novel
Stars: Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist), Jared Leto (The Thin Red Line), Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), Marlon Wayans (The Ladykillers), Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore)

Useless Trivia: During the scene where Sara gives a speech about aging, the camera drifts slightly off center. Aronofsky confronted the cinematographer about it, only to discover that he'd been crying during the take. This take was eventually used in the movie.