ACTUELLEMENT ÉPUISÉ

Donnie Darko (UMD, 2005)

Writer-director Richard Kelly's bold debut film is a social satire, a dark comedy, a science fiction time-travelling fantasy, and a suburban nightmare about an extremely intelligent, depressive, self-destructive, narcoleptic, gun-toting, sex-crazed, teenaged arsonist: Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal). DONNIE DARKO is not your typical teen comedy. But, like GHOST WORLD and RUSHMORE, it uses the trappings of the teen comedy as the entry point for a subversive and trenchant (and also wonderfully entertaining) look at American life. The difference between those films and DONNIE DARKO is that Donnie is an unlikely hero who just might save the world. It's October 1988, in the Virginia suburb of Middlesex. When Frank, a grotesque giant bunny (possibly imaginary), leads Donnie out of his house minutes before a plane smashes through his roof, he not only saves Donnie's life but also warns Donnie that the world is about to end. Over the next few weeks, Donnie falls in love with Gretchen (Jena Malone) and tries to figure out what his life means. Kelly's film perfectly captures the unease that is quietly scratching under the surface of suburban late 1980s life. Gyllenhaal leads an exceptional cast, bringing Kelly's twisted but humane vision to life. An exceptional performance is given by Mary McDonnell (PASSION FISH) as Donnie's mother.

Actor
Jena Malone, Mary Mcdonnell, Patrick Swayze, Katharine Ross, Drew Barrymore, Jake Gyllenhaal, Holmes Osborne, Noah Wyle
Director
Richard Kelly
Release Year
2005
Genre
Drama, General

Number of Discs
1
Format
UMD
Language
English
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States of America
Director of Photography
Steven B. Poster
Reviews
Sight and Sound - ...A fine film, even an astounding one....DONNIE DARKO has a texture and tang all its own....Haunting and altogether exquisite..., Entertainment Weekly - ...Excitingly original..., Total Film - ...This is startling filmmaking -- end of story..., USA Today - ...This home life/high school satire set in someone's twilight zone grabs you and doesn't let go. It's also one of the best cast films of the last decade..., Movieline - ...A remarkably accomplished piece of filmmaking by a 26-year-old Richard Kelly..., Chicago Sun-Times - ...Richard Kelly, the first-time writer-director, is obviously talented....He sees his characters freshly and clearly, and never reduces them to formulas. In Jake Gyllenhaal, he finds an actor able to suggest an intriguing kind of disturbance...
Certificate
15
Features
Widescreen
Movie/TV Title
Donnie Darko
Composer
Michael Andrews
Executive Producer
Casey LaScala, Drew Barrymore, Hunt Lowry
Franchise
Donnie Darko
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screenwriter
Richard Kelly
Run Time
108 mins
Format Description
UMD