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Madame Hoopla says this is a "must own" dvd.
Publisher: AV Channel
Tue, 8 February 2005
by: Madame Hooplah
“Every living creature on Earth dies alone” Grandma Death tells Donnie. After a jet engine crashes into his bedroom it seems that Donnie has dodged fate thanks to the help of his six foot rabbit friend “Frank”. Or has he?
Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect as an awkward, intelligent and highly troubled teenager. We feel for him as he struggles with bullies, hormones, hypocritical adults and nightmarish visions.
Donnie Darko is full of interesting and believable characters, fleshing out the Middlesex school community into one we can identify with and feel fully immersed in. Drew Barrymore gives a noteworthy performance as a teacher fighting school beaurocracy. A world away from her bread and butter portrayals of sassy, lightweight women. Patrick Swayze is smooth and repugnant as a motivational speaker with a secret.
The depth and clarity of writer/director Richard Kellys’ vision is realised in a manner which gives a satisfaction generally obtained only by reading a book. The directors’ cut gives us a fuller glimpse of the Tangent Universe and makes a film which was already fabulous even more so. The soundtrack features plenty of eighties hits and the bright poppiness contrasts beautifully with the metallic droning of Donnies’ visions. The look of the film is incredibly stylish too: the lighting, the way the shots are framed, the way the sequences are paced, the dreamlike effect of Donnies’ encounters with Frank. Grandma Death/ Roberta sparrows’ amazing ‘granny mullet’ deserves a mention too. So much of this could have turned into a joke if not handled so beautifully.
The best part of the special features is the Darkomentary. This is the result of a 2004 competition to find the biggest Donnie Darko fan. Darryl Donaldson won after seemingly stalking the cast members and acting like a prize oddball. Darryl is “probably the only male with a membership to the Jake Gyllenhaal website”. He may or may not be for real but certainly is entertaining. His Darkomentary concludes with him managing to kiss a worried looking Richard Kelly on the cheek at a convention. He then runs away, his face aglow with emotion declaring, ‘I could die now….I could die”.
The cast interviews are fairly uninteresting and annoyingly edited with no audible questions and fading in and out of interviews midsentence. The general consensus amongst the cast seems to be that there is no definite conclusion to Donnie Darko, that it’s about the “journey” and “possibilities”.
There is a production diary with a rather vague and rambling commentary by Steven Poster, director of Photography. If you really feel the need to sit through it you will be rewarded with Jake Gyllenhaal’s “riverdance” impression.
This is a film which sparks potential discussions about religion, fate, free will and truth. Or you may be content just to enjoy the “journey” and consider the “possibilities”. You’ll enjoy it either way.
by: Madame Hooplah
More articles by Madame Hooplah
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