Réquiem por un sueño

This movie is the most disgustingly beautiful and horrifying movie.

Requiem for a Dream (2000), is a human character-study on film. Darren Aronofsky's, crazy, drug-induced, rollercoaster-ride, gives that 1980s feel to the viewer, throughout the whole film. It has a fantastic calling to that old-Hollywood-style of filmmaking. The best component to this film is most definitely, the acting. Ellen Burstyn is Sara Goldfarb, a retired couch-potato, who is addicted to a bad self-help TV show, that cons her into believing she can lose weight if she uses certain drugs. These pharmaceuticals eventually destroy her mind and create a horrible addiction for her. Meanwhile, her dead-beat son, Harry (Jared Leto), comes up with the brilliantly dumb idea of creating a haven for himself, his friend Tyrone (Marlan Wayans) and Harry's girlfriend, Marion (Jennifer Connelly), by getting into the street-drug business. Unfortunately, he and his friends are now all junkies and things don't go so well as planned.

This film is not for the squeamish. It involves many horrible aspects of life. It shows the terrible things human beings are capable of doing, to themselves and the consequences, of such poor decision-making. Requiem for a Dream (2000), does manage to pull at your emotions and makes you feel, very sorry for these people. I won't say anymore, but there is a reason why Ellen Burstyn was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for this film. The directing, camera-work and editing, is fantastic. Aronofsky's direction is quite fitting, for the drug-incited delusions seen in the film. Jennifer Connelly's performance is staggeringly good. She definitely leaves her comfort zone for this film. For myself, Requiem for a Dream (2000), was shocking, brought out many emotions and contained a life-lesson, we should all pay attention to.

PMTM Grade: 9.0 (A-) = 9 IMDB.

I went to this movie hearing plenty of buzz about how graphic the content was. Over the course of the movie you see just how Aronofsky wants to send his message to the audience. The characters start off with somewhat mild addictions and then next thing you know the four main characters are living in hell. I couldn't believe how low they all fell. This movie may be the greatest anti-drug message of all time. I dare anybody to watch this and to not be touched and frightened by these characters. Before the movie started I noticed the audience was quite loud and garrulous, but as it ended and the credits rolled the whole place was stone cold silent. It was amazing.

As a whole I felt the movie was excellent. The visuals were well done and the editing was outstanding. The actors really put themselves into their roles. Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly had very good chemistry, while Marlon Wayans showed he is a talented actor and not just a talented comic. Ellen Burstyn. Wow! She was amazing. I can't believe an older woman would allow herself to be filmed like that. She has some serious guts. Hands down the best female performance I've watched this year, not even close. I was totally amazed by her.

All in all, I would say Requiem For a Dream is a great movie. It had a profound impact on me and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I watched it on opening night. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone. This is a movie everyone should see, but unfortunately not enough will.

being someone who had a history with drugs, i found this movie to be slightly more than ground-breaking. i saw this film in the midst of a downward spiral, and it turned me right around! having friends with the same plans, such as sell drugs to buy more drugs..it made me look at my life and theirs and see exactly what the future had in store.

now, every time i see this movie since escaping that life, i cry. i cry for my past and those who still live in it. this movie has more to say to people my age than any drug education movie we were afforded in school. honestly, i wonder when the school systems will wisen up to what is really going to get kid's attention; movies that show that pros as well as the cons of drugs, or a movie that shows the complete and utter devastation drugs will bring to your life, and the lives of those around you. honestly, had i seen this film before my sophomore year of high school, i would have never even dreamed of taking more than the prescribed dose of advil.

granted, my little summary or comment of this movie does not entail anything informative about the movie itself, i must say, i feel this is the best way i know to express my views.

Often hype about films lead to disappointment and after waiting 14 months after release for my local cinema to show this film, I was done thinking about it. Thank goodness too, rather than challenge my brain (not hard to do unfortunately) this film went straight for the heart, ripped it out and kicked it around the floor for 90 minutes. As the addictions plunged further into the depths of Hell, I felt myself more and more arrested by the film. I've never left a film shaking or feeling physically ill- not including Pearl Harbour, of course :) You want to look away, but cannot.

This movie is by no means flawless, but then again I would like to hope that the flaws add to the gritty reality of the film. The ending was truly the most frightening thing I have ever seen in film- forget the cheap scares of The Exorcist, Psycho and the endless bile of the 'slasher flick', this stuff is REAL.

In a country amid a 'war against drugs' this is a powerful film which could do more to turn kids away from drugs than any measly government "task-force" or classroom lecture.