August 28, 2005

That Is One Messed Up Bunny Rabbit

How to handle reviewing Donnie Darko? It's difficult to talk about too much without discussing the entire plot. In addition, even if everyone has seen it there is no guarantee that everyone actually saw the same movie. Sure everyone watched the movie written and directed by Richard Kelly, but what I take away from it may not be what you take away from the movie.

For those as out of the loop as I was until I finally watched it last week (thanks to Invisible Lizard and the wonders of the United States Postal Service), Donnie Darko focuses on the incredibly strange life of an emotionally disturbed high school age boy (Jake Gyllenhaal) who begins receiving visits from Frank a six-foot tall rabbit. Frank tells him of the coming end of the world and encourages him to do several things that would likely get him arrested. Harvey, it's not. Honestly, that's about all I can tell you about the movie without launching into a discussion that would last for a few hours.

I tried to figure out what to say in this review, and eventually decided that the best way to sum it up is with how Invisible Lizard explained it: "Richard Kelly is either some kind of genius or a drug addict. Jury's still out." Right now, I'm leaning toward genius.

Until later...

1 comment:

Matt said...

For more information, you should see the extended "Director's" cut where he's put back in a number of visual clues that were cut for the original theatrical release. He actually got this version released in the theaters not too long ago. It's out on DVD now. Not that this will provide answers, but it will illuminate other questions.