Movie Review: Donnie Darko (2001)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle
Directed By: Richard Kelly
I just finished watching Donnie Darko for the first time ever, and I'm comfortable enough in my own intelligence to admit that I don't fully understand it. I guess that would require a few more viewings. I think I understand what happened; in fact, I'm pretty sure I did. But it still feels like there are things I either missed, or were just plain missed.
This unsettling feeling makes it a difficult film to rate. The unsettling feeling itself is a plus, because challenging movies can be rewarding in their own right. I guess the hardest question to answer is if I liked it at all. I'm not sure. I know I didn't not like it, but I don't know how I feel about it. I know I won't be one of the thousands out there who adore and worship this film, but I do think that I'd like to watch it again. Maybe with the commentary on. Maybe the director's cut.
So putting personal feelings and plot definition aside, there are a few things I do know: this is an incredibly well done movie for a director's debut feature. It was shot for about $4.5 million but doesn't look low budget by any stretch. There's pretty impressive special effects for such a low budget picture, showing that independent doesn't have to mean an average looking film. Jake Gyllenhaal is fantastic as Donnie, as is the rest of the cast in their respective roles (well, maybe not Patrick Swayze). Many of the shots are very interesting visually, although sometimes the visual techniques are overdone in a showy manner. And the dialogue is chock full of quotable lines, which is ultimately why I think it's such a cult hit. Oh, and (director and writer) Richard Kelly shows his homages and influences on his sleeve, which, since the movie is set in 1988, I think is on purpose.
I think I did like it. Kind of. I'm just not sure if it truly comes together. I'm trying to figure out if that matters.
3.5/5