Jake Gylenhaal was one of the hottest young actors in the late 90s and early 00s. I may not be a big fan of him (I do like him, just don't love him), but his little streak of films from 1999-2005 (October Sky, Moonlight Mile, etc) were lovely. The biggest in that era of Jake's career was the sleeper hit "Donnie Darko," a modest and original thriller that is very easily to love.
The thing I don't like about Jake Gylenhaal is his very serious and powerful performances are forced and never feel natural. His portrayal of the complex Donnie Darko is an exception. Donnie is a disturbed teenager whose medications and psychotherapy do not seem to be helping. Being a bad kid sounds like an easy and fun role, but Donnie is a complex boy.
One day, Donnie summoned to leave his house where part of an airplane falls on his house, right where He would have been sleeping. His escape from death soon had him being followed by a man dressed up in a scary bunny costume that talks to him. The bunny's name is Frank and he tells Donnie to pull off crimes. This bit of schizophrenia is very well-played and beyond exciting.
We are introduced to an array of characters in Donnie's small town. They include Donnie's new girlfriend (Jenna Malone), his young teacher (Drew Barrymore), and a phony motivational speaker (Patrick Swayze). While Donnie is the main character, the movie never sways to just him. By fully developing the others, it just makes the cinematic experience that much richer.
Something Frank tells Donnie is that the world will end in twenty-eight days. Donnie then becomes obsessed with time travel. Sure that concept has been done better in other films before and since, but the way it is done in "Donnie Darko" is admirable. I wouldn't call it a flaw.
"Donnie Darko" is a very complex movie that sucks the viewer into an unforgettable experience. I would call the only flaw in this that I was not able to fully get the end. It seems as though it was more of an exercise than something to fully serve the story itself. What do I mean by this? The final night, we see Frank in his actual form and not as Donnie's imagination. We also see the airplane part that destroys the Darko's house. How on earth did all this happen weeks before? Because I could never figure this out, I feel like being a little harsher on this and not give a perfect score. But whatever, it is still a modern-day classic white-knuckler.
3.5/4.
The thing I don't like about Jake Gylenhaal is his very serious and powerful performances are forced and never feel natural. His portrayal of the complex Donnie Darko is an exception. Donnie is a disturbed teenager whose medications and psychotherapy do not seem to be helping. Being a bad kid sounds like an easy and fun role, but Donnie is a complex boy.
One day, Donnie summoned to leave his house where part of an airplane falls on his house, right where He would have been sleeping. His escape from death soon had him being followed by a man dressed up in a scary bunny costume that talks to him. The bunny's name is Frank and he tells Donnie to pull off crimes. This bit of schizophrenia is very well-played and beyond exciting.
We are introduced to an array of characters in Donnie's small town. They include Donnie's new girlfriend (Jenna Malone), his young teacher (Drew Barrymore), and a phony motivational speaker (Patrick Swayze). While Donnie is the main character, the movie never sways to just him. By fully developing the others, it just makes the cinematic experience that much richer.
Something Frank tells Donnie is that the world will end in twenty-eight days. Donnie then becomes obsessed with time travel. Sure that concept has been done better in other films before and since, but the way it is done in "Donnie Darko" is admirable. I wouldn't call it a flaw.
"Donnie Darko" is a very complex movie that sucks the viewer into an unforgettable experience. I would call the only flaw in this that I was not able to fully get the end. It seems as though it was more of an exercise than something to fully serve the story itself. What do I mean by this? The final night, we see Frank in his actual form and not as Donnie's imagination. We also see the airplane part that destroys the Darko's house. How on earth did all this happen weeks before? Because I could never figure this out, I feel like being a little harsher on this and not give a perfect score. But whatever, it is still a modern-day classic white-knuckler.
3.5/4.