Everyone Dies Alone (Donnie Darko (DVD))

Member Name: TJ-Mackey

Product:	Donnie Darko (DVD)
Date:	09/10/02 (2181 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful, Intense, Thoroughly intriguing

Disadvantages: Tries to do a little too much

"28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds. That is when the world will end."

At the time of writing, 'Donnie Darko' has still to be given a theatrical release in the UK (however, expect to see it in selected cinemas from October 25th). In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if you've never even heard of it. After reading nothing but praise for the film, I bought the DVD earlier this year and have since watched it three times - it is a truly remarkable debut from writer/director Richard Kelly. However, there is a big problem with 'Donnie Darko', and that's the difficulty in categorising it within a particular genre; even giving a plot synopsis is problematic. This was undoubtedly one of the major reasons for its limited distribution, and also makes it rather difficult to justify a recommendation. It's one of those films you urge someone to watch, but when asked why, you begin by simply saying, "Trust me".

For a start, 'Donnie Darko' is a true mind-bender of a movie. You'll be thinking about it for days afterwards, and a repeat viewing will be almost essential. And even then I doubt you'll understand everything that's going on (I certainly didn't!). The setting for the film is suburban America in the late 1980's, and the Donnie of the title is an intelligent and confident teenager who also happens to be seeing a psychiatrist. You see, Donnie is friends with a six-foot bunny rabbit named Frank, who wakes him one night to warn him that the world will end in twenty-eight days, six hours, forty-two minutes and twelve seconds. Not only that, but while he's out of the house, a jet engine drops through the roof of Donnie's bedroom - an event that would surely have killed him had Frank not intervened. Is there a higher purpose at work here, or is Frank merely a figment of Donnie's troubled imagination? As the days count down, even stranger thing begin to happen in Donnie
9;s life...

While the plot may seem intriguing (and rightly so), perhaps the most impressive thing about Richard Kelly's debut is the multitude of interesting characters, all ably played by a strong cast. Carrying the film on his shoulders is Jake Gyllenhaal, mesmerising as the titular Donnie, but he's well supported by an array of fascinating performances - Patrick Swayze's new-age guru standing out in particular. Drew Barrymore's name perhaps gains more prominence than it should due to her role as executive producer, and for the most part it's true that the big names are overshadowed by a crop of lesser-known actors including Jena Malone, Beth Grant and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The exceptions to this are Mary McDonnell, who puts in a touching performance as Donnie's mother, and the aforementioned Swayze whose seemingly ridiculous character hides a dark secret.

Also deserving of mention is Kelly's inspired choice of music throughout 'Donnie Darko' - lending songs from the period to some striking imagery, particularly in the film's poignant final sequence, played out to a cover of 'Mad World' by Tears for Fears. Other artists on the soundtrack include Duran Duran, The Church, and Echo & the Bunnymen, whilst further references to the eighties can be seen everywhere in the film... nods to Back to the Future, The Smurfs, The Evil Dead and E.T. are particularly noticeable.

One thing you can easily forgot about 'Donnie Darko' is that it's an independent move, with a budget of just $4.5m. This isn't at all obvious from watching the film, especially considering the impressive special effects and high profile stars, and it just shows how much independent filmmaking has changed in recent years. Sadly, it's only made a fraction of this budget back at the US box-office, when really it should have made a profit many times over.

Part psychological thriller, part science-fiction myst
ery, and part-coming-of age drama, the only real problem with 'Donnie Darko' is that Richard Kelly has tried to do too much with just the one picture. There are references to time-travel, pre-determination/fate vs. existentialism, schizophrenia, high-school rebellion and quite a few other subjects I won?t reveal here. Listening to the director's audio commentary only confuses matters further, and at least one of the deleted scenes would have completely changed one aspect of the story had it been included. This is undoubtedly because 'Donnie Darko' is his first film, and therefore does have a rough-around-the-edges feel to it. It is also tremendously ambitious, and contains an intense and subtle performance from a relative newcomer who surely has bigger things on the horizon.

In summary, 'Donnie Darko' is a truly beautiful, moving and tragic debut, which has been criminally under-seen. Get to your nearest cinema as soon as you can.

Summary: