Requiem For A Dream
Darren Aronofsky follows up his acclaimed debut Pi with this gritty, emotionally charged film set amidst the abandoned beaches and faded glory of Coney Island, Brooklyn. Based upon the novel by celebrated author Hubert Selby Jr., the story intricately links the lives of a lonely widowed mother (Academy Award Winner Ellen Burstyn), her son Harry (Jared Leto), his beautiful girlfriend Marion, (Jennifer Connelly) and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans). Requiem for a Dream: Edited Version is a hypnotic tale of four human beings each pursuing their vision of happiness. Even as everything begins to fall apart, they refuse to let go, plummeting with their dreams into a nightmarish, gut-wrenching freefall.
Member Reviews
a perfect fiom - coastgirl52
Not one to watch alone... probably one of the most moving films I have ever watched.Not only is the direction and cinematography-just as was done in Black Swan, incredible, Aronofsky delves into the theme of loneliness and connection superbly. Ellen Burnstyn's character especially touched me and was a great portrayal of isolation in our society... hence the need for drugs and the void it fills The honesty of the road to drug use and addiction was again perfect This is the film they should be showing in High Schools- skip the wasted Just Say No programs!!Descent into madness - swissguy
This movie does not hold back. It is gritty, dark, honest and mesmerizing in it's portrayal of what it is like to descend into drug induced madness. All the main characters in this film descend into the depths of addiction from the house wife addicted to diet pills, to the son and his girlfriend addicted to what is probably heroine; we follow their descent. At first somewhat anti-climactic the film builds, as does addiction, toward its uncompromising, harrowing, disturbing conclusion. This film is honest. The Director realistically portrays the effects of drugs and of dependence on drugs through cinematography, odd camera angles, distortions, music, and sound effects. There are hospital scenes that are so uncompromising they must be seen by anyone dabbling in drugs because this is what hospital treatment is really like. I've been there and I can attest that the hospital scenes are real, they are not exaggerated, hospitals are no fun and people need to know what is in store for them if they play with drugs be it cigarettes, alcohol, amphetamines, or cocaine. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is not scared of facing reality, and who can handle drama enough to experience brilliant film making and acting.THIS IS THE EDITED VERSION (amazing movie) - eoguy
Warning to call renting this version -- it is the "R" rated version that has been edited for content. The edits are minor and probably not noticable to most people, but it's not the way it was supposed to be seen. To see the original film select the "Director's Cut" from the Zip.ca Menu.
This is one of the most emotionally devastating films I have ever seen. The kind of movie that leaves you and your friends sitting there in silence, grasping for something to say when it ends. Very, very bleak, but fascinating at the same time, and one of the best examples of excellent acting, photography, and especially sound design that I have seen in a long time. If you don't like those mind-bogglingly stupid Hollywood action movies, you don't always get a chance to test out your Dolby Digital sound setup (assuming you have one). Well here is a film for those who still have a few brain cells that will really give a 5.1 speaker setup a nice work out. Lucas Arts helped with the sound and boy does it show ... I can not recommend this movie to a casual film-goer. It really does hammer you emotionally, and offers no "out" for those looking for a "feel-good" sensation to walk away with. But if you take pleasure from gripping stories, excellently told, and the sheer pleasure of well-done cinema, and you can take bleak subject matter, then this is one of the best films you are likely to see in a long, long time.
Member Reviews
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a perfect fiom - coastgirl52
Not one to watch alone... probably one of the most moving films I have ever watched.Not only is the direction and cinematography-just as was done in Black Swan, incredible, Aronofsky delves into the theme of loneliness and connection superbly. Ellen Burnstyn's ...Descent into madness - swissguy
This movie does not hold back. It is gritty, dark, honest and mesmerizing in it's portrayal of what it is like to descend into drug induced madness. All the main characters in this film descend into the depths of addiction from the house wife addicted to ...THIS IS THE EDITED VERSION (amazing movie) - eoguy
Warning to call renting this version -- it is the "R" rated version that has been edited for content. The edits are minor and probably not noticable to most people, but it's not the way it was supposed to be seen. To see the original film select the "Director's ...