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Requiem for a Dream
Movie Stats & Links

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
MPAA Rated: Not Rated but for adults only.
Released By: Artisan Entertainment
Web Site: www.requiemforadream.com
Kiddie Movie: Probably not, although they might think twice about doing drugs.
Date Movie: She'll be grossed out.
Gratuitous Sex: Yes, but in an artsy way.
Gratuitous Violence: Some killing but I was disappointed.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Nah.
Memorable Scene: Harry shooting up into his infected arm.
Memorable Quote: None.
Directed By: Darren Aronofsky
Produced By: Eric Watson, Palmer West

Requiem for a Dream
A Movie Review

MPAA Rated - NOT

It's 1:42 Long

A Review by
The Dude on the Right
So Stu hears this reviewer on the radio talk about "Requiem for a Dream." He said something like it was the most disturbing movie he has ever seen, that it took him twenty minutes to compose himself before he could leave the theater, blah, blah, blah. With that kind of review I was looking for quality violence, and from the sign in the theater that due to graphic sexual scenes no one under 17 would be admitted, things were really looking up for this film. But after seeing the movie both Stu and I decided that the reviewer was a pussy and the graphic sex scene just made me dizzy. "Requiem for a Dream" is a disturbing movie, but I was more emotionally uncomposed after "Saving Private Ryan" than this movie. "Requiem…" is a good movie, especially in an artsy way, and I must say that I’m glad I went because just the other day I was considering shooting up heroin and taking diet pills. After seeing the movie I think I’ll just stick to chocolate.

"Requiem for a Dream" is a look at how drugs, whether illegal or prescribed, can fuck up your life. We get Harry (Jared Leto) and Tyrone (Marlon Wayans in a great role), two street dudes dreaming of a better life if they can get their hands on some good stuff to sell on their own. Harry’s mom, Sara (Ellen Burstyn), is sort of an enabler for her son, letting him sell her TV to a pawn dude then her buying it back, but she has her own problem – losing weight so she can fit in her favorite red dress for when she gets to be on TV. Harry’s main problem is that he forgot the main rule if you want to make it in the drug business – don’t get high on your own supply. Tyrone is a little bit smarter, but neither of them plan for when their supply train runs short. Harry and his woman, Marion (Jennifer Connelly), get totally hooked, Tyrone goes back to just trying to survive, but then Harry and Tyrone convince themselves that they’ve got to get to Florida if they want their chance to make it. They get a little sidetracked when Harry’s infected arm derails them at a hospital and then jail, and Marion, who had her own dream of opening a clothing design store, finds her dreams shattered when she needs her next fix and the only way to get it is to do sexual favors for the only dude in New York who still has any supply.

Then there’s mom. So desperate is she to loose weight that she heads to a quack doctor who is dispensing diet pills, basically uppers, and mom becomes hooked. We get to see her downward spiral as she won’t eat, loses the weight, but then hallucinates as the drugs take hold of her life. She ends up in shock therapy in a mental ward because she won’t eat.

All of these stories are shown in an artsy way, with quick clips of lighters, blood flow, dilating pupils, and the like as our cast of characters shoot up. And yes, the movie is disturbing, showing in a real light how drug addictions can make your life spiral out of control, but I already knew these things so even though I did cringe when Harry was shooting the needle in his infected arm, I just left the movie happy I’m not a drug addict, won’t be trying diet pills, and disappointed that it didn’t take me twenty minutes to compose myself.

The movie did teach me a few things. Rule #1: If I ever become a drug dearer, don’t get high on my own supply. Rule #2: If I’m taking diet pills and the refrigerator starts to jump and groan at me, well, it’s time to stop. I hope I never need these rules.

As an art movie "Requiem for a Dream" does its job. It is dark, it won’t make you laugh, and will make you think. As entertainment it just fell a little flat for me because, yes, I was looking for quality violence (both Stu and I expected a gang war blood bath to rival the opening of "Saving Private Ryan"), and the spinning sex scene was just dizzying and made me almost throw up my popcorn.

I’ll give "Requiem for a Dream" 4 stars out of 5 as an artistic movie, but I don’t think most of anyone will want to see this movie nor make it all the way through without walking out.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

 

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