Requiem for a Dream, but Most Certainly Not a Director
By Morgan Wilding

Independent filmmaker Darren Aronofsky has, to say the least, an incredibly unique style of presenting his films.

As with Pi, (Aronofsky's previous work, a black-and-white film about a number theorist), Requiem for a Dream presents an absolutely unique film, full of brilliant cinematic technique and excellent directing. The movie is co-written by Darren Aronofsky and Hubert Selby Jr. (author of the book on which this film is based). Aronofsky presents camera angles or conceptual shots that are quite unusual and yet remarkably well done, lending his movies an air of wonder and excitement simply by visually deviating from the norm. Requiem for a Dream is not simply a vehicle for the director to strut his stuff, however, but an incredible and remarkable film that you will walk away from loving.

Requiem for a Dream may, at first glance, seem like another drug flick. Yet the movie is not just about drugs, but the addictions of these characters-the younger generation to heroin, the elder generation to simply being noticed. The film follows the lives of Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), an aging Brooklyn mother, her son Harry (Jared Leto), a twenty something young man with little or no purpose, Harry's girlfriend Marion Silver (Jennifer C. Connelly), an aspiring fashion designer, and their friend Tyrome (Marlon Wayans). Sara gets a phone call informing her that she is to be on a television game show and to wait for further information, causing her to want to lose weight. Marion, daughter of a rich fashion designer, gets cut off from the family fortune, causing Harry and Tyrome to start dealing drugs to not only support themselves but to help get money together to help Marion open up her own clothing store. Harry, Tyrome, and Marion become addicted to heroin, while the lonely Sara, given her chance for attention by her peers, becomes addicted to her amphetamine-based diet pills.

The cast, featuring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, and Jennifer C. Connelly, all perform remarkably at their roles, portraying characters that all seem very human and very likeable. Ellen Burstyn performs superbly in her role, becoming the amphetamine-addicted Sara Goldfarb so well that one might wonder if she really isn't the basis for the character.

A special note must be made here for the contribution of the soundtrack. Clint Mansell, in his sophomore role as soundtrack composer, does an excellent job of bringing the movie to life through a soundtrack that you I found myself humming days after having seen the movie.

A fair warning to audiences, however: This is not a pretty movie, nor is it a movie to fill one with glee and joy of heart. The ending to this incredible, serious film will leave you depressed, to the same extent that Apocalypse Now leaves one psychologically disturbed. Indeed, Coppola and Aronofsky share a similar brilliance in their directing.

All in all, Thousand Words Productions has managed to output an incredible movie. From acting to directing to the soundtrack, this film is one of the most memorable I have ever seen.

Pros: Brilliant. Above-average acting, directing, writing, and music.
Cons: Horribly depressing.
Bottom Line: One of the best movies to come out since the turn of the millennium. A definite must-see.