Review of Donnie Darko

Introduction

If your into typical Hollywood mainstream movies then this isn`t one for you. If you like to suspend disbelief and have a movie haunt you long after the credits roll take a look at Donnie Darko.

I`ve started dabbling in screenwriting lately. I`ve bought the how to books and the step by step video guides but they all keep telling me one simple fact. The best way to learn script writing is to see lots of movies and read the scripts of those movies. The problem is too many films are formulaic, that said the how to books tell the new screenwriter to stick to a set formula. In this script, from first time writer/directord Richard Kelly there`s that glimmer of something new, something that doesn`t follow a genre. Here`s a movie that adds a new dimension to the already over populated teen horror movement. Move over Scream, make way for Donnie Darko if you dare!

Donnie`s a teenager living in an upper middle class American suburb. He`s got problems. He sleepwalks, He`s seeing a shrink. That said Donnie still attends school and has grades that the principle can only describe as intimidating. On one fatefull night Donnie ventures out on one of his nocturnal sleepwalks. This time he meets a six foot tall demonic rabbit named Frank. Frank tells Donnie the world will end in 28 days, on a specific hour, minute and second. Donnie wakes-up the next morning on the local golf course. Returning home he finds a 747 jet engine has fallen on his house and into his bedroom. Donnie has cheated death!

What happens next I can`t say, it would give far too much away. All I can say is that Donnie starts on a quest for truth. A kind of X-Files meets The Twilight Zone meets David Lynch style truth. In this movie you get John Hughes 80`s teen angst with some great tunes from the decade. You get time travel, but not in a simple Back to the Future style. You get religion, fate and an ending that won`t sit well with your average sci-fi movie fan.

Video

Video
A superb rendering of this movie from Fox. There must be some Donnie Darko fans over at the authoring house because this little gem of a disc is crammed with some excellent material that matches this anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) presentation perfectly.
There`s not a sign of digital artefacts or white haloing. All scenes, even the very dark ones, have an almost three-dimensional quality due to the excellent contrast levels. Colours are sharp and clean with no bleeding and there`s some nice animated menus throughout.

Audio

Matching the video is a great atmospheric Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The low frequency kicks in great when needed and the surrounds are used for both ambient and punchy effects with equal
quality and care. Just wait till you here Frank talk to Donnie the first time, it sent shivers down my spine. The movie uses a few 80s music numbers which are pumped out great guns and sound better than ever.

Features

An absolute Easter bunny`s basket full. You get the usual trailers and TV spots for this movie but here, unlike most discs, it matters. Shot on a $4.5 million budget this movie got rave reviews at the Sundance film festival last year, but struggled to get backing from a major studio. Therefore it only showed at a few arthouse cinemas across the US and it will probably never see the light of day at a cinema in the UK. Who knows it may never appear on DVD so here you can watch the trailer that most UK residents have never seen.

You also get a large collection of deleted scenes. Most don`t add greatly to the plot line but are informative and all contain audio commentary from the writer/director.

There`s a music video for a cover version of the Tears for Fears hit "Mad World". This is used towards the end of the movie and is a nice rendition, if a bit R.E.M. in style.

In the move Patrick Swayze plays a self help guru who runs a company called Cunning Visions. The film is scattered with mock infomercials and these are shown in their entirety in the extras section. There fun to watch in the same vein as the newsreel footage in the Die Hard and Independence Day special editions.

Then there`s an art gallery featuring artwork and production still. Most of the illustration work was done by Richard Kelly.

You get to also look at pages from a book called "The Philosophy of Time Travel" used in the film.
The book is a pivotal plot element in this movie and reading this will help enlighten viewers. The print is very small on screen but it`s worth the squinting.

If you`re after more weird and wonderful stuff after viewing the movie check out www.donniedarko.com. The disc has no DVD-Rom bits but does have a stills gallery from the funky and strange website.

The best of the extras are the commentaries you get two independent choices here, one with the writer/director Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllenhall (who plays Donnie). And another with the rest of the principal cast like jenna Malone (Contact) and Drew Barrymore who also co produced.

Conclusion

A sadly underrated movie that I stumbled upon by chance. It looks and sounds great and for a movie that cost ,what is, merely pocket change to Hollywood. It has some neat special CGI effects but the film struggles to find a genre as it dips its toe into gothic horror, sci-fi and black comedy. Look out for the scene where the teens shoot bottles with an air rifle and discuss the mating habits of Smurfs.
The film seems to have some plot holes but it`s actually really hard to tell because with the sci-fi, time travel story line anything goes. If you don`t dismiss it and think long and hard and look out for the clues on your second or third viewing, it may just all add up. My brain still hurts!

All-in-all this is not to be missed. A fantastic, polished DVD packed to the brim. Richard Kelly has pulled of something immaculate and odd here and I urge you to give it a chance. If you do or don`t it`s only fate anyway!