Requiem For A Dream Review
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Cast: Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Jennifer Connelly and Ellen Burstyn.
Based on the book; Requiem For A Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr.
Screenplay by: Darren Aronofsky and Hubert Selby. Jr.
Requiem For A Dream is a film based on Hubert Selby, Jr.'s book with the same title, that follows the lives of four people; Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), her son Harry (Jared Leto), his girlfriend Marion (Connelly) and his best friend Tyrone (Wayans). It follows these people and their addictions, how their addictions cloud their reality or cloud their willpower to except their reality. It shows Harry, Marion and Tyrone being happy, living and also being smack addicts, but as it becomes more difficult to afford/get a hold of their needed drugs you see their lives go upside down and the things they would do to get it back up, to get high. You see these characters individually fall apart in their own way, losing sense of morals and general physical/mental strength. Then you have Sara who is given a chance to be on TV and is determined to fit into an old red dress, unfortunately due to being slightly overweight and no will power to diet normally, she turns to prescribed diet pills, which gives her mental distress, almost like the diet pills become her crack. You see these four individuals over three seasons become small, ruined pieces of themselves, you seem them lose their sense, their reality. The more they lose their reality, the more you are slapped in the face by yours.
The movie was filmed around New York and Brooklyn in well know locations such as; Coney Island. You see sun and light at the beginning of the film, but when the characters are in darker situations or doing darker things to themselves you see the wear and tear and scum of the scary corners in these locations. Lighting is a key thing in this film, it really helps the atmosphere in each scene, helps the deep-ness of this film sink into you.
Speaking of characters and darkness, the acting in this film is remarkable, to be able to play someone that can start top and end way below bottom is brilliant, which is exactly how I would describe the talent within this film; brilliant. You honestly believe these characters are getting high, you would almost think these actors have actually experienced it themselves, they completely sell it.
Now the downsides of this movie in my opinion are: I understand the abstract filming (its subtle, but sends the right message) however certain shots are repeated a little too much. I also think that the end could have showed you Tyrone just that bit more, just to help the audience sympathise for him as much as you do for the rest.
All in all this film is very deep and is very much a cult classic, this film will stick in my head for a very long time and made me look at certain things closer, helped show me just the lengths people go to for the littlest things. That's what I love about this film it shocks you, it questions you, its not afraid to show you a horrific truthful reality.
My Rating: 7.5/10
VF
Cast: Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Jennifer Connelly and Ellen Burstyn.
Based on the book; Requiem For A Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr.
Screenplay by: Darren Aronofsky and Hubert Selby. Jr.
Requiem For A Dream is a film based on Hubert Selby, Jr.'s book with the same title, that follows the lives of four people; Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), her son Harry (Jared Leto), his girlfriend Marion (Connelly) and his best friend Tyrone (Wayans). It follows these people and their addictions, how their addictions cloud their reality or cloud their willpower to except their reality. It shows Harry, Marion and Tyrone being happy, living and also being smack addicts, but as it becomes more difficult to afford/get a hold of their needed drugs you see their lives go upside down and the things they would do to get it back up, to get high. You see these characters individually fall apart in their own way, losing sense of morals and general physical/mental strength. Then you have Sara who is given a chance to be on TV and is determined to fit into an old red dress, unfortunately due to being slightly overweight and no will power to diet normally, she turns to prescribed diet pills, which gives her mental distress, almost like the diet pills become her crack. You see these four individuals over three seasons become small, ruined pieces of themselves, you seem them lose their sense, their reality. The more they lose their reality, the more you are slapped in the face by yours.
The movie was filmed around New York and Brooklyn in well know locations such as; Coney Island. You see sun and light at the beginning of the film, but when the characters are in darker situations or doing darker things to themselves you see the wear and tear and scum of the scary corners in these locations. Lighting is a key thing in this film, it really helps the atmosphere in each scene, helps the deep-ness of this film sink into you.
Speaking of characters and darkness, the acting in this film is remarkable, to be able to play someone that can start top and end way below bottom is brilliant, which is exactly how I would describe the talent within this film; brilliant. You honestly believe these characters are getting high, you would almost think these actors have actually experienced it themselves, they completely sell it.
Now the downsides of this movie in my opinion are: I understand the abstract filming (its subtle, but sends the right message) however certain shots are repeated a little too much. I also think that the end could have showed you Tyrone just that bit more, just to help the audience sympathise for him as much as you do for the rest.
All in all this film is very deep and is very much a cult classic, this film will stick in my head for a very long time and made me look at certain things closer, helped show me just the lengths people go to for the littlest things. That's what I love about this film it shocks you, it questions you, its not afraid to show you a horrific truthful reality.
My Rating: 7.5/10
VF
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