Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Portuguese title:
“Life is a Dream”

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Written by: Hubert Selby, Jr., Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connely

Running Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes

Rating: R

Pre-Conceived Notions: Who replaced the trailer with a Nine Inch Nails video? Does Trent Reznor make a cameo? Is this real life? What’s that woman doing in that fish tank? These questions and more will be answered on the next episode of Soap! Don’t worry if you don’t get that reference. I barely get it, and I wrote it, so… 

Why I Haven't Seen This Film: I probably had homework that day.

1 hour, 41 minutes later…: Wow. I shouldn’t have watched that movie first thing in the morning. My visual cortex is smarting because of all the intense imagery that assaults you minute after minute. It’s like taking that Aphex Twin video where that alien-looking creature is screaming at that old woman and her hair blows back and multiplying the intensity of that by a googolplex. Holy freakin’ shit. It kind of makes me want to go out and find the novel it’s based on.

It’s interesting, because the most intense scenes involve the character who I think is the biggest victim. Sara Goldfarb, played masterfully by Ellen Burstyn, just wanted to lose weight to fit into a dress so she could look good on TV, which makes her a double victim. First she gets the call to tell her that she’s been “selected to be a contestant on TV” which doesn’t happen in real life. You have to audition for shows before you can be selected for them. And then she becomes an addict on uppers because some charlatan prescribed them to her. She is the only character in the film that doesn’t know she’s an addict. 

Final Thoughts: I have to go take a shower many times over, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. 4.5 slices of pizza out of 6. The visuals are mind-blowing, as is the subject matter. The acting is intense and in your face. But the assault on your brain that you take is a bit much. Now if you excuse me, I’ll be in the bathtub. Crying, or something.