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A DVD Review of...
 
Images (C) FOX |
Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi/Comedy/Horror
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swaze, Noah Wyle, Mary McDonnell
Synopsis: In Donnie Darko, a funny, moving and distinctly mind-bending journey through suburban America, one extraordinary but disenchanted teenager is about to take Time's Arrow for a ride. As Donnie begins to explore what it means to be alive and in love, he uncovers secrets of the universe that give him a tempting power to alter time and destiny. Donnie Darko is a genre-busting fable that blasts the American suburban drama into a wildly imaginative realm of time travel (Ferris Bueller meets Back to The Future), alternative universes and the manipulation of one's fate. But at the core of Donnie Darko is the simple story of a boy trying to make a stand in a lonely, chaotic world – and discovering that every little thing he does counts on a cosmic scale.
Film Review: If your the kind of person who loves life every day, the wonders of god's creation and the fact that everything in your life has been going your way at least for a majority of it, then your the kind of person I'd probably not get along with. This is a film for the cynics and manic depressives out there - the ones who feel stuck in a rut, the one's who are rarely if ever satisfied with anything. The ones who feel out of sync with the rest of the world not because your lagging behind, but rather you don't see the point of dealing with people who desperately attempt to appear successful or be part of the in crowd, when in reality their lives are very empty, insecure and lonely. Cynical? Yes, but like everyone we're just looking or someone to love and/or be friends with - but aren't willing to put up with all the bullshit that society tries to pressure on people - we're jaded but deep down under all the scars we're hopeful too, and movies like this prove a great form of cheap therapy.
Richard Kelly seems to understand that concept with "Donnie Darko", a truly superb genre-defying debut film with an excellent cast, superb script and twisted imagery which results in one of the most creative and original films in a while. 'Donnie' is like an "American Beauty" for a cult audience - a social satire of the 80's combining elements of psychological thriller, theories of time travel, family dysfunction, various odd FX, a psycho looking bunny rabbit, and camera angles that seem very David Lynch or Stanley Kubrick in style though with storylines that actually make sense. Its very hard to pin down the effort into any one genre which proves a good thing as the constant shifting of tones keeps the pace moving briskly and sly yet subtle references to 80's culture (which basically stabs those "feel good 80's teen movies" in the throat) are deftly worked into the storyline. This is the first performance by Gyllenhaal I've seen and the guy is excellent, the actor in question has the perfect look and atmosphere of a charismatic yet disturbed young man with a lot of stored up intelligence, confusion and angst - certainly an actor to watch out for in the future. Other great performances come from the always lovable Mary McDonnell as Donnie's mother in a nicely understated turn, and Patrick Swayze as a self-help guru - but some surprises do show with the likes of Drew Barrymore in a so-so character despite the fact she looks more gorgeous in his than in any film I've previously seen her.
One thing I truly love about this is the comedy which ranges from the obvious (a dinner conversation about the definition of f*ckass), to the ridiculous (a teen literally and openly snorting cocaine out of a fellow student's locker), to the sublime (the jet engine crash). The lines and visual gags that come out from the various students aren't just funny but sound entirely believable for their age bracket (these aren't Dawson Creek-esque hyper smart teens). The sequences with Frank the Bunny are unsettlingly creepy thanks to lighting and visual tone (esp. one bit in a bathroom), and the use of title cards to 'count down to the end of the world' do keep a sense of buildup and flow moving and increasing toward a climax. However its the climax which ultimately sabotages the 90 minutes before it which was quickly on its way to becoming a cult classic of "Heathers" proportions. Sadly, in that last 30 minutes (the day the world ends) 'Donnie' goes somewhat off the rails with the ultimate climax which'll leave viewers confused, disoriented and unsatisfied. Little hints or questions raised throughout the film are revealed but the main question of "What in the hell happened?" remains anyone's guess. The post climax epilogue is also an extremely sad segment (mostly due to a great but tear-inducing song) which will probably spoil it for some hoping for a more upbeat and satirical ending more in line with the film's tone earlier. Still, its not enough to put a downbeat on what is truly one of the most eye-opening and original films of the year. Kelly is certainly a man to watch out for in the future and it'll be interesting to see how he tops this wonderously creative effort. - Garth Franklin
"Donnie Darko"
DVD Details In Brief (Region 1)
Rating: R
Runtime: 113mins
Versions: 16:9 Enhanced Widescreen, 4:3 Letterboxed
Aspect Ratio: 2.35: 1
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0
Language & Sub-Titles: English, French
Commentary: Track 1 by Writer/Director Richard Kelly & Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, Track 2 by Richard Kelly, Producers Sean McKittrick & Nancy Juvone, and various cast
Clips: 20 Deleted/Extended Scenes (w/ commentary), Infomercials, Trailer, TV Spots, Music Video
Other: Time Travel Article, Still Gallery, Filmographies
Region 1 vs. Region 4: No Region 4 Available. |
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DVD Review: A tricky film to bring to DVD, this is a project which was shot using a special type of film ideal for low-light situations and allows for some visually interesting scenes. However as a result the picture is deliberately soft and fine detail (such as Donnie smiling during a gag in the Principal's Office) is hard to make out. Nevertheless other than that the transfer is pretty good - contrast seems lacking at times and shadows are quite dark but there's no grain, no edge enhancement and good use of colour. Audio is SUPERB - dialogue is crisp and clear, the 80's music tunes filled with electronica tones ring through nicely and the surround is made of good use throughout. There's two commentary tracks, the first with Writer/Director Richard Kelly & Donnie himself Jake Gyllenhaal which is the more serious of the two and talks about on-set shooting & storylines without ever getting too technical. It reveals some interesting facts such as Drew Barrymore having to call the Netherlands at 4am to try and obtain the rights to do the Smurf gag, whilst Gyllenhaal adds touches of humour every now and then whenever things start vaguely approaching something serious. The second track on the other hand is one of the funniest tracks I've heard recenly - with the stars, producers, etc. regularly cracking great jokes and despite a little too much backslapping at times the sheer warmth between them is great - demonstrated by things like Mary McDonnell commenting on her breasts jiggling to all noticing Patrick Swayze patting an ass of one of his self-help kid students.
The extras are not only of a surprisingly large quantity but the quality here too is what's astonishing. Most notable is the 20 deleted or extended scenes each with optional commentary and many of which add either great jokes or new twists to the story including revelations like the truth about Donnie's medication, a great conversation in which Donnie makes it up to his father, and a debate over Watership Down which leads to a personal consequence. "Cunning Visions" was one of the reasons DVDs were invented - its a gallery containing the Jim Cunningham (Swayze) hilarious but VERY repetitive self-help 5-minute infommercial (with optional and quite insane commentary), mock book covers and 'self help' cartoon problems like those used in the film. There's a copy of the rather detailed and intricate website which is a little hard to navigate, and the memorable but very sadly toned REM-like Gary Jules 'Mad World' music video. Capping it off are the notes from within the soundtrack, stills, artwork, biographies, the great trailer, five TV spots (all misrepresenting the film as horror, though the second one comes the closest) and a copy of the 'Philosophy of Time Travel' book prop used in the film. - Garth Franklin
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