Donnie Darko

Hideously over-rated movie.

I understood what was going on, but felt that the film made more sense if it's all a fantasy that Donnie is creating as he dies (a theory that is supported by the lyrics from "Mad World" - "the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had"). Unfortunately, the film's official site goes for the time travel explanation that creates a paradox.

It seems to be to be one of those movies that most of the world seems to have been brainwashed into liking. It was OK, but not worthy of the praise that is heaped upon it.
 
How can you say that!? :o It's SOOO amazing. And not just the story.... the way its shot, everything!


damndirtyape- I dont know, I read it somewhere and just thought of her in that way
 
I bought the dvd last week on a rtecommendation - watched it and thought it was an okay film - but I'm yet to see what peoepl mean by understanding it - so I've missed somethgn - so I need to get back into it.

Thanks for the link Exulus.
 
Different strokes for different folks I s'pose. I feel that way about quite a number of so-called 'classics'. Donnie Darko was really refreshing at the time (2001 wasn't it?) though I admit it's lost a lot of its impact now that other 'clone' films have arrived (thinking 'Butterfly Effect' in particular).
 
Watched Donnie Darko a second time last night with my wife. Despite comments like "She used to be in...oooh...what's that film?" I did manage to understand the film a little more.

*Spoilers*
I realised that Frank was actually Donnie's sister's boyfriend.
I guess Frank chose to go back in time and stay in his bed when the engine crashed, therefore preventing the whole meeting girl/ girl dies scenario?

The next time I'll watch it with the commentary track on. That will definitely scare my wife out of the room!
:)

I watched some of the deleted scenes too, and it did sound like the director was gutted that some of them got cut. A Director's Cut would be cool. We can only hope. *spoiler* The scene with the psychiatrist and the 'placebo' was particularly helpful in working out what was going on in the film.

Overall though, an excellent movie.
 
Oh god, the butterfly effect *sigh*.
1. Such a 'trying to be donnie' film
2. Ashton Kutcher could never do anything as amazing as Jake did.

I'm loving Donnie Darko more and more every time I watch it- I listened to the commentary last night which was very informative as well as funny (Jake rocks!!!!)
 
Very medicore movie I thought. Eh but how is every movie now a Donnie Darko clone?

Heck, even Red Dwarf dealed with Time Travel before. and more obvious ones like Terminator.
 
I personally found it slow and boring and overhyped.

It was hyped up as this great indie effort, much like justly hyped films like "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream" by Darren Aranofsky, but its cinema for a Stereophonics fan... ie. crap bland and obvious.
 
Do you actually mean overhyped, or do you mean overpraised?

I never saw any 'hype' about this film whatsover. I'd heard from frienRAB that it was worth a watch, that's all. I went into the movie with a completely open mind, which is unusual these days with trailers, previews, etc.

I prefer films that have a little depth, so I imagine that's why I like this film. Yes, there are films out there that pretend to have depth but are actually pretentious rubbish, but this isn't one of them. IMO.

Even if you didn't like this film I can't see how you can call it bland and obvious. How exactly is this film obvious? There is absolutely no way you could predict the story of this film. Films that are bland and obvious are films like 'xXx' and 'The 'Fast and the Furious'. All style and no substance (ie, bland and obvious).

I've never see Pi or Requiem for a Dream so I can't comment on them.

Cinema for a Stereophonics fan? That may be but I don't like the Stereophonics. Too bland.

What films / music do you like then Peej? :)
 
I mean both. It was very highly praised. Too much, which gave it the hype it required at cinema and DVD release.

Jake Gylenhall was very good in it. But I found the other castings to be dubious (Drew Barrymore... I mean come on?!?!), and overall acting... well not brilliant.

I found it pretended to have depth personally, I personally found it didn't have depth, it just tried to make you think it did.

I didn't mean the story, I meant the whole concept of it. Something a little strange and weird to draw in the 18 - 30 "alt" market. It just didn't seem to me, to be made as a piece of art, more than a targeted piece of film making.

I don't mean "everyone who likes this will like the Stereophonics and visa versa", well I don't need to explain that. I'm sure you know what I really meant. :p

I went into this film expecting to enjoy it, but I just found it a massive dissapointment.

I like varied films and music.

But as we're in the film forums....

  • Requiem for a Dream
  • Pi
  • Ring (Japanese)
  • The Shawshank Redemption
  • La Haine
  • LA Confidential
  • The Taking of Pelham 123

Obviously this list isn't in order, or a complete list (as my mind isn't the greatest at recall).. Just a general gist.:D :D
 
i thought all the acting except for drew barrymore was great,but without her the film would not have been made at all-her production company made it i believe because she loved the story so much,and believed in it

the film has layers,and surprises (the kiddie porn dungeon!)and makes you think.
i dont think it was designed for a certain market in the cynical way you suggest peej

i kept an open mind aboutt his film as there was a lot of "oh so positive" hype about it but i was very impressed
 
:confused:

I think the point that MrThompson was trying to make is that the Darko Brethren are now trying to claim that any time travel movie is "ripping off" their beloved DD, when it is in fact Donnie Darko that owes a great deal of debt to previous movies/shows.

I personally really hope that Richard Kelly is pulling a huge post-modern joke, and that in a few years time he will reveal that DD had no great meaning at all.
 
I just love the film, sometimes you can over analyze something and miss the point. Its flawed, but so what and you can take it on whatever level you like, it doesnt try and push you down a path of having to go off and search your own soul etc.

I dont think the film was hyped, and thats a real shame as it did deserve it and as many people as possible should see it, even if they end up hating it :D

my tastes vary from the deerhunter, one flew over the cuckoos nest, dark days and the classic muppets in space :D :cool:
 
damndirtyape: Great explanation of post-modern humour :) - miles better than the one I was mulling over!

The Sack: It wasn't hyped Stateside, but it was praised to the heavens in the UK. I didn't think anyone on this thread had mentioned hype, though..

Re "The Butterfly Effect": it was written in 1996/1997...
 
I think that you have reduced it too finely there (plus no-one said that every movie is a DD clone). There are just a number of examples out there of movies 'cashing in' on the themes and, more importantly, the style of the movie (the most blatant of which is The Butterfly Effect).

It's more than just the 'time travel' similarlity - I could write several thousand worRAB on the topic, but that'd be wasting everyone's time :D Let's just put it this way - at no point in Donnie Darko were there hard-light holograms, androiRAB or killer robots - unless that's all been saved for the Director's Cut :D

As I said, I can understand that people don't find the film all that appealing and that it was technically inferior in some respects (though I feel that they should be forgiven considering the mild-mannered budget), it's just that an awfully large number of people who go to see it for the first time in the summer will come to it with echoes of similar films in mind and thus feel unimpressed (kinda like when you see a 'classic' film and understand the "genius" behind it but don't fully engage with it in a contemporary context)



ewwwww! Hope not - post-modern jokes are soooooo pass
 
Wasn't sure I'd enjoy this film but I had it on good authority from a very reliable source that it was worth watching. Got a DVD as a pressie and watched it a couple of weeks ago. My source was right..

Weird, surreal and really quite funny. The acting left a bit to be desired I guess.. agree with all the comments about Drew Barrymore. I don't tend to overanalyse films just watch them for enjoyment mainly and I did enjoy this.. against my expectations.

Oh and the fab soundtrack helped too!
 
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