Anyone here see a 2001 sci fi flick called Donnie Darko?

Is it any good- is it worth pursuing or not? I just now heard of it and am curious. It sounds interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Darko

On edit: Looks like the Wiki link I provided has a complete synopsis of the plot, which means spoilers. Go there at your own discretion.

...but I found it a bit lacking. It's one of those movies you think must be hugely profound, until you realize in a blinding flash a few days later that it really isn't.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/awards

Just sayin'. I know that doesn't mean it's profound OR particularly good- perhaps the voters were just easy. :evilgrin:

The acting was good, the directing was impressive for a young director, the soundtrack was good. It wasn't a bad film in any way. It just pretended to a significance that it didn't really deliver. Like many "profound" teen movies, I guess.

:rofl:

phase #1: you just saw the movie and wonder what the hell it was all about. Intrigued, you watch it about 10 more times to try and link everything together in your mind and see if you can make sense of it.

phase #2: you realize that the plot in the movie is a bunch of BS

phase #3: you appreciate DD as a movie like a Radiohead song: In a good Radiohead song, the lyrics are mostly gibberish and the music isn't that spectacular. But if you listen to the whole song as a sort of abstact collage, it will impress a certain set of emotions onto you.

In my opinion, this is what DD does.


spelling

Your "three phase" description is right on. That was exactly my experience with this movie.

Donnie Darko is an intriguing movie with many brilliant parts that upon closer inspection don't add up to a whole lot.

ITA with everything you said...I went through the same steps!

I figured I would find it stellar, but...it was just what it was. Not that it was bad, it was just...well...damn, I hate to say this, but it was interesting in its own bizarre way.

Not much of a critique, I'm afraid! :-)

on edit: misplaced smilies poison the broth

It had a great soundtrack,too boot.

And that guy from "October Sky" is a pretty good actor. "Donnie Darko" was worth watching, just not paying full price for.

Is that a joke?

I just couldn't remember his name when I made my first post. Some kind of mental block, I guess. Not to mention a total inability to spell "that guy's" last name (and yes, THAT was a joke :)). Thank god for IMDB.

BTW, October Sky is one of my favorite movies -- after The Color Purple, it's literally the only movie that actually made me cry tears of happiness. I know the movie hit every cliche in the book -- and was even aware of that while I watched it -- but it still really hit home for me. Jake (Insert Welsh Last Name Here) rally hit emotional perfection.

You have to catch the two commentaries.

Watch it once, then watch the commentaries, then watch it again.
There were some relly good portraits in it and the music was good. Some funny parts too.
Jake Gyllenhall was good in it.
I'd say watch it.

It's worth seeing just to say you've seen it, as to whether you'll like it or not, that's up to you. :)

I much prefer the original version rather than the Director's Cut just because it's more open to interpatation, but either way it's worth viewing.

in that it might not appeal to all, might not make sense to you, but makes you think and doesn't hand you any easy answers. There are a few interpretations of it, and I like movies that are like that. Even if you choose not to get deep into it, it's still good eye/ear candy too.

It has elements of science fiction but I would definitely not call it a Sci-Fi pic. Great acting. Great dialogue and very, very funny at times. Jake G gives a memorable and nuanced performance.

I've seen it...many times. It's quite good.

haunts me still... especially the rabbit!

It's in the fantasy/dream scape genre, similar to Mulholland Drive.

Inland Empire.

that tries to be difficult because it believes that art should be difficult, not because its message is overly complex. That makes it a bit pretentious, and a bit like a high school discussion on some technical aspect of Spider Man or some such thing.

But it's still very good. The plotting, the dialog, the acting, the directing, are all top notch, and keep you intrigued through the whole film--much better than the average film. But the ending is a bit difficult, even obscure. You almost have to be well-versed in old sci-fi themes to get it, and even then there is much debate about what it means. It will bother you for days, trying to work it out. Not that that's bad, it's just that in the end you get the feeling that either the director/writer wasn't clear on what he was trying to say, or that he had some very specific meaning that he failed to communicate. A great plot should lead inevitably to the conclusion of the story--even if that conclusion itself is ambiguous or unclear. This film feels more like the plot deliberately tries to leave you confused, and then the ending is, not so much ambiguous, as unstated. I felt like the writer had a point, but left the point vague just to seem deep.

Plus, every conclusion I've read or heard from someone leaves some part of the plot out, so either everybody is wrong, or the director didn't even know what he was trying to say.

Complex films should be complex because there is no simple way to tell the story. This one feels more like it is complex because the writer/director just that complex films were artistic.

But still, well worth it, and one of the better films on that topic I've ever seen. Just a bit frustrating at the end. For a while I thought I was just too obtuse to get it, and that still may be the case! But from discussions and comments I've seen or had with others, the ending is unclear to everyone.

How so? And are we about to enter into one of those high-school technical discussion you'd mentioned? ;-)

Off the top of my head, it's been a while, only the water/metal interface didn't seem to mean anything, but was just there because it was interesting.

One of my all-time fave movies (and not just 'cause of Jake Gyllenhaal LOL). It's very weird, one of those films you have to watch a few times to really get - but it's really good.

WTF was up with the rabbit?

Definitely angels in strange places...

Some folks got completely engrossed in it, and have spent
the last six years debating the symbolism and "hidden meanings"
of it; I just thought it was a an odd & interesting film.

What about it?

:rofl:

I recommend it to anyone who's into David Lynch, LSD and/or Armageddon.

in literature and movies of people being given the chance to go back in life and change something...

It's A Wonderful Life
Heaven Can Wait

It keeps you guessing though. I guess so you'll pay closer attention.

See it. Donnie Darko was my favorite movie until I saw Little Miss Sunshine.

Coincidentally, Beth Grant is in both movies.

but mostly cuz it stars my secret boyfriend.

i think it's one of those. you get it and it gets you back. or you "get it" but it fails to grab you. i am of the former. it hits me deeply with each viewing, it's not really just the "goth movie" some people tout it as being.

Unfortunately due to my 15 years old daughter's obsession with it last year, the kids like to go around saying, "Go back to China." and "I hope you get molested" to one another. Sigh.