Why is it that generally the masses (no pun intended, i.e. Requiem) never see the real masterpieces that play in our movies houses across this great land? There are many reasons, but I think we all know the main answer to that. It's called "the almighty buck" irregardless of the content of a movie and who the "big names" are in the movie. It's really a shame that Hollywood produces so much "junk" in my opinion anyway, and that a masterpiece such as Requiem for a Dream hardly gets a mention, much less rave reviews from some of the critics. After all, it doesn't star Julia Roberts or Tom Cruise for one. I bet if it had real "star" power no matter the subject matter, audiences would flock to it in abundance, because of course there would be so much hype about it. I'm willing to bet that not many people under the age of 30 even know who Ellen Burstyn except for some recent publicity of the re-release of The Exorcist. And, Ellen as Sarah Goldfarb in this portrayal is not to be missed. There was a reason she was nominated for best actress last year-- this film. Sadly, she lost out to the 20 million dollar woman, Julia Roberts.


Requiem for a Dream is directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also did Pi, which garnered Aronofsky the 1998 Sundance Festival's Directing Award for Dramatic Competition. I saw Pi when it came out on video and just could not get into it. It's a black and white grainy picture that about gave me a migraine, but this masterpiece by Aronofsky shows just how far he has come in film-making and if there's more like this, I will definitely be there for the count.

CAST
Jared Leto plays Harry Goldfarb. His credits include American Psycho (2000), Girl, Interrupted (1999), and Fight Club (1999).

Ellen Burstyn plays Sarah Goldfarb. Some of her credits include The Exorcist, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and a personal favorite of mine, Ressurection.

Jennifer Connelly plays Marianne Silver, Waking the Dead (2000), Dark City (1998), and Inventing the Abbotts (1997).

Marlon Wayans plays Tyrone C. Love. He is the brother of Damon Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans,


This is without a doubt one of the most heart-wrenching movies I have seen; the only other two that come to mind is American History X with Edward Norton, and Schindler's List with Liam Neeson.

The title of this film Requiem for a Dream is so dead-on. It explores the lives of four people with dreams for their life and future, that get put on the sidelines due to their escalating addiction to drugs. This is a most graphic depiction of what it's really like to be addicted, and believe me, it's not a pretty site. The film covers a one-year period of time, starting with spring, summer, fall, and then winter. You will witness the transformation of each character as they spiral downward out of control and even though it's not pretty, this is perhaps one film that should be viewed by children in the schools. We need to face the realities of the world and what's out there enticing our kids, our brothers, sisters, father's, and yes-- even mother's. It's much like the documentary made years ago by prison inmates called Scared Straight, hoping to avert young people from a life of crime.

The film is rated NC-17, and I rented it at Blockbuster rated as R-- edited version. When the title of the film was introduced it even had the words, edited version. With all of the graphic scenes and language content, I can't even fathom watching the NC-17 film. I had been waiting for it to come out on video but it's interesting how I came to rent this film just a few nights ago. I had stopped in Blockbuster looking for a friend who works there to discuss the movie I had just seen-- Memento (absolutely phenomenal). I knew he had seen it and was looking forward to chatting with him about it. He and I have struck up a friendship as we are both ardent fans of great movies. While there and chatting with him another good friend of his stopped to peruse the shelves. I saw "Requiem" on the shelf and asked him what he thought about it. He said it was the best movie he had ever seen but he would never see it again. After talking a bit, I decided I had to have it. I also rented Swingers at the same time, but they both said I should watch that one after "Requiem" as I would definitely need an upper after watching this.

I can't say enough about the direction of this movie by Darren Aronofsky and how he puts it all together. The music only intensifies what you see on screen. It moves along very well with never a dull moment, focusing on these 4 people who you see slowly withering away their dreams.

The performances of each principal is absolutely spell-bounding, but especially Ellen Burstyn-- you just can't take your eyes off of her. I could relate to her somewhat, as she sits before her TV day in and day out, then goes in to try a red dress on that she had worn in her younger years, only to find that that the weight gain over the years prevented her from zipping it up. Slowly but surely the sugar and fatty foods had changed her appearance, but fear not, there were pills available to help with all that. She lives alone, widowed, (like me), and has one son Harry who rarely visits. The two of them are having a conversation and though she tries to remain upbeat about her hum-drum life, she reminisces about the olden days, she's lonely, and who really needs her anyway? Does she matter to anyone? She's got her little old lady friends that she sits outside with and her TV. The part of her that I identified with is the "sugar" part as she start popping those little pills and tries to fight those cravings for chocolate, pastries, and the like.

This film will definitely pull at your heartstrings and how you look at humanity. In the final analysis, we are all just trying to find our own little niche in life, and sadly some people that are especially vulnerable can be lead astray with the enticement of a "quick fix" or instant gratification and unfortunately many of them don't come back.

You might compare this to the film Rush made in 1991 about two small town Texas cops who go undercover to catch a major drug runner & end up getting caught up in the drug culture with Jason Patric and Jennifer Jason Leigh. I say you might compare "Requiem for a Dream" to "Rush," (which was a mind-blowing film) but you still wouldn't even come close to capturing the utter devastation that drugs and addiction can do to a person. Instead of renting a piece of "fluff" why not give this masterpiece a look-see!









Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older