Donnie Darko

Tags

2000's, Beth Grant, Donnie Darko, Drama, Drew Barrymore, Holmes Osborne, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Katharine Ross, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Noah Wyle, Patrick Swayze, Richard Kelly, Science Fiction, Seth Rogen

Director

Richard Kelly

Starring

• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Jena Malone
• Mary McDonnell
• Holmes Osborne
• Katharine Ross
• Beth Grant
• Patrick Swayze
• Drew Barrymore
• Noah Wyle
• Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Seth Rogen

A genuine cult film that defies being boxed into a specific genre, Donnie Darko is a mind bending film, that’s layered with thematic material, a biting edge and eerie ambience galore.

Donnie Darko(Jake Gyllenhaal) is a suburban teenager in the 1988 who is prone to sleepwalking and disturbing thoughts. He’s a charismatic, smart but troubled young man who seems to delight in challenging authority whenever he can. His parents ( Mary McDonnell and Holmes Osborne) and sisters (one being Gyllenhaal’s real sister Maggie) are confused by him and don’t know how to react to him. On medication to combat his anti-social behaviour towards others and what is seen as paranoid schizophrenia , he one night starts hearing a voice telling him to come outside. Once he gets there, he discovers the voice comes from a frightening looking, six-foot tall rabbit named Frank. He is informed that in twenty-eight days, six hours, forty-two minutes and twelve seconds, the world will end. After waking up far from his house, once he returns he finds that a jet engine crashed into his bedroom. This further highlights the weirdness in Donnie’s life and functions as another indicator of potential doom for everyone. Donnie starts to attend a psychotherapist(Katharine Ross), who tries to fathom what’s going on in Donnie’s mind, but has extreme difficulty opening it up. Most adults seem to act unusually around Donnie, which aids his further alienation from life. Some however seem to understand like the rebellious English teacher Karen Pomeroy (Drew Barrymore), her boyfriend/ fellow professor of science Kenneth Monnitoff( Noah Wyle)and new girl Gretchen( Jena Malone). But then there is the over zealous and devout gym teacher Kitty Farmer(Beth Grant) who is buttoned and wants everyone to follow her lead and slimy motivational speaker Jim Cunningham( Patrick Swayze). As Donnie’s doomsday visions become more frequent and he is driven to commit violent acts by the spooky rabbit, Frank’s mention of time travel sends his mind reeling about what the visions represent. Picking up a book from his professor on the subject, Donnie dives into discovering how he fits into this apocalyptic vision. Is the world really going to end? And if so, what is Donnie supposed to do to stop it?

Richard Kelly made his debut with this film and though his output since has been mixed( though I did like the often maligned and misunderstood The Box), at least he can be remembered for creating this iconic and complex movie. Kelly transports us into the strange world of teenage years and what was going on in the 80’s, but amps it up with the theme of time travel and cause and effect. You just know from the question raising opening that you’re in store for something very unusual and far from conventional. The script, written by Kelly,  is unnerving, caustically funny and highly imaginative, which is a bonus for someone who enjoys all those things when done right . It fleshes out a mystery in the film and creates a fine character in the form of the title anti-hero. He’s disturbed there’s no doubt about it, but he speaks quite a lot of sense when others won’t. And at first we aren’t sure whether what he sees are hallucinations or not, but you definitely know they point to something extremely ominous in the future for everyone. Coming of age is a big theme here and one can view the film as an analogy of puberty and adolescence, as it’s often a time associated with change and something pulling us in a specific direction. And the countdown motif telling us how many days until Armageddon is a real nerve shaker.

Believe me, you’ll find yourself thinking about Donnie Darko a lot after viewing it. The enigmatic story which has a lot of layers and ideas on its mind engages the brain, but refuses to give cheap, easy answers. It’s too smart for that and instead functions as ambiguous and challenging. Whichever angle you want to view the film from, there is something here for everyone to sink their teeth into and think of their interpretation of it all. You can see it as a biting satire in suburbia and conformity, with the disturbed Donnie being the one who fights back against it, coupled with social drama. Or as a sci-fi flick about time travel and how events play out differently because of change. I’d say the film is both of these things and that’s partly why I love it so much. It plays by its own rules and doesn’t try to be like everything else, something which I applaud. I mean you know a film is challenging and complex when there are thousands of websites dedicated to deciphering the many meanings of it. From a visual standpoint, Donnie Darko is extremely atmospheric and immersive thanks to creative camerawork such as slow zooming shots and a gloomy yet strangely majestic colour in cinematography, occasionally punctuated by brightness. Music plays a key role in Donnie Darko; exemplified by the 80’s heavy soundtrack( filled with Tears for Fears, Echo and the Bunnymen and Joy Division) and unusual, distorted thumping of the score that keeps going with alarming intention. One of the best uses of music is the cover of ‘Mad World’ which is stripped back and haunting as it plays over panning shots of all the people impacted by Donnie in a masterful sequence.

In the role that really announced him as a major acting talent, Jake Gyllenhaal is simply put excellent as the main protagonist. He has to go through so many changing emotions, often very quickly and he does it all without missing a beat. The sly, sardonic smile that reveals his disdain for others, the intense stare of alienation and disillusionment and a certain nuance to the mercurial mood swings are all embodied to a strangely charismatic height by the greatness of Gyllenhaal. It is the definition of a star-making role that Gyllenhaal made the most of and clearly shows him as one of the best actors of his generation. Jena Malone boasts a haunting quality as his love interest, who wrestles with her own demons during the course of the movie. Mary McDonnell and Holmes Osborne both make impressions as Donnie’s parents who are bewildered and bemused by his behaviour, as does Katharine Ross as his psychotherapist. A major standout is the scene-stealing Beth Grant. Playing someone whose vicious, unapologetic antagonism is disguised as righteousness is both a hoot and something alarming. She scolds, lectures but never seems to be able to understand others thanks to her bigoted ways and watching her come apart, especially as a result of Donnie, is a sight to behold. And also really standing out is Patrick Swayze; filtering his natural charm offensive into something more charlatan and far from what it first appears. It’s one of the most interesting and different roles Swayze ever took and it shows off his considerable talent. Drew Barrymore has the right rebellious but dedicated attitude for her part of a teacher, persecuted for trying to engage with her students in a way that contrasts with the conservative approach of others. Ably supporting that feeling of challenging conformity is Noah Wyle, who opens Donnie up to the idea of time travel. Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her present felt, with her sparring and jabs at her brother and especially in the later half in emotional fashion. Plus, look out for an early role from Seth Rogen.

A hypnotic, unusual and engaging story of creepy certainty and eerie atmosphere, twined with fine acting and ambiguity, Donnie Darko is simply a must see.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Tags

1960's, Buddy Film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, George Roy Hill, Katharine Ross, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Western

Film Title

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Director

George Roy Hill

Starring

• Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy
• Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid
• Katharine Ross as Etta Place

Exciting, engaging and entertaining are the three words that spring to mind when I think of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Featuring two affable main characters and loosely based on true events, it is damn near impossible to not be swept up in the funny and irreverent western.

It is the time of the Wild West and outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid belong to the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang. The gang go about robbing banks, thanks to the charisma of Butch and the precise aim with a gun from Sundance when needed. Everything is going pretty amazing for them thanks to the combined skill set of both men in their line of work. Yet the law soon catches up with both of them after a spectacularly explosive hold up and a posse is dispatched to find them, causing our charismatic twosome to flee. Wherever the duo seem to run too, whether it be through the desert, canyons or over rivers, the seemingly tireless posse continues to be hot on their trail. Finally, the outlaws, along with Sundance’s schoolteacher lover Etta Place, flee to Bolivia in search of respite from being chased and of course new opportunities of making money. They go about conducting more successful robberies, but the idyll is shattered when it appears that justice is not going to let go of either of them.

It is obvious almost from the start of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid that director George Roy Hill is having the time of his life displaying a confidence and intrinsic cheekiness in his mounting of this engrossing film. He utilizes experimental touches that are very jaunty and set the film’s tone as firmly tongue in cheek, in stark contrast to a lot of westerns that are very bloody and brutal. Take the opening for example; bathed in sepia, we are introduced to our main characters by way of a silent movie style montage that is bracingly amusing and informs you of all you need to know about the titular outlaws. A crackerjack script(that garnered an Oscar win) has a laugh a minute, particularly in the exchanges between Butch and Sundance that crackle with humour as they get themselves into precarious situations constantly. There are just so many memorable moments that abound in this film that it’s difficult to choose only a few to talk about, but I’ll give it a go. The aforementioned opening is sublime as well as a newspaper and photograph clipping detail of Butch, Sundance and Etta’s interlude throughout various cities. The jump off a gorge, despite the fact Sundance can’t swim is a stand out moment and of course Butch riding without a care in the world on a bicycle with Etta to the strains of ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’. And who can forget that final freeze frame that immortalizes both characters? Credit must be given highly for introducing us to two of the most charismatic characters to grace the screen. Criminals they may be, but boy are they an affable and amusing duo together on their journey of outrunning the encroaching law. While it has a lot of humour in it, an impending tragedy percolates away in there, bringing with it notes of bittersweetness as death lurks for the outlaws at almost every stop. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is as much a buddy movie as it is a western, as while it adheres to the conventions of a western, the focus is squarely on the main characters more than many westerns and it has a lot more laughs in it, followed by approaching sadness. Beautiful scenery is bountiful and you can’t help but marvel at the various shots of mountains, rivers and hills that are to be found here. There are minor things that time hasn’t been kind to, but I could count these on one hand which shows how it still makes a damn fine impact and experience for any viewer. A nice and skittish score is the ideal representation of how spirited this film is, while not forgetting the eventual feeling of tragedy that will befall our amusing duo.

A simply sublime cast is on hand to give this western a golden boost, in particular the perfect pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the somewhat opposite desperadoes whose bond is nonetheless strong. Butch is the talkative one with the big ideas, while Sundance is the laconic and more grave individual. Their differences and similarities fit together perfectly, and have us rooting for this dynamic duo. Paul Newman is bright-eyed and full of roguish adventure as Butch, who always has a scheme or plan even in the most dire circumstances. Robert Redford makes Sundance a quiet and collected man with a deadly shot, who is the more serious-minded and cool half of the team. It is impossible to talk about this film without mentioning how Paul Newman and Robert Redford share an unbeatable chemistry, that makes the quips of both characters register with conviction and easy humour. The film would simply have not been the same without both of these actors complimenting the other in an uncannily excellent and amiable fashion. Katharine Ross plays the other important role of Etta, the schoolteacher in love with Sundance along for the ride. Ross is pleasing and softly spoken, yet very assertive when it is called for. Her role in the story is the less of the three as Butch and Sundance take up the majority, but Ross ensures that she holds her own in the part.

An enjoyable experience, the evergreen delights of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid remain for all to view in a film coloured with laughs and eventual tragedy.

The Stepford Wives

Tags

1970's, Bryan Forbes, Katharine Ross, Nanette Newman, Patrick O'Neal, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, The Stepford Wives, Thriller, Tina Louise

Film Title

The Stepford Wives

Director

Bryan Forbes

Starring

• Katharine Ross as Joanna Eberhart
• Paula Prentiss as Bobbie Markowe
• Peter Masterson as Walter Eberhart
• Nanette Newman as Carol van Sant
• Tina Louise as Charmaine
• Patrick O’Neal as Dale ‘Diz’ Coba

A chilling thriller that takes a satiric aim at men’s controlling desire to dominate women, conformity and perfection, The Stepford Wives is a well-directed and unusual film that engages on many levels.

Joanna Eberhart is a young wife and aspiring photographer who moves with her husband Walter and two daughters from bustling New York to the quiet suburb of Stepford, Connecticut. The place looks idyllic and nice, but something about it sets Joanna on edge. In particular, the womenfolk of the town are all well-dressed, completely submissive to their husbands and obsessed with household chores like cooking and ironing in a most unnatural way. For the nonconformist in Joanna, this alarms her as her ideas are completely at odds with the other women who seem to do anything and everything to please their spouses. Adding more to her concern about the residents and town itself  is Walter joining the Men’s Association, that is incredibly secretive and headed by the menacing businessman Dale, who is more commonly referred to as Diz. Shortly after moving in, Walter begins to grow very distant and more and more involved with the Association, much to Joanna’s dismay. Thankfully, Joanna finds a friend and kindred spirit in one of the most recent residents of Stepford who isn’t a robotic housewife; the talkative and free-thinking Bobbie Markowe, who also thinks that the town and the subservient, cooking obsessed women are a little too perfect and not quite right. Working together due to their shared feelings of uneasiness, the two women investigate the mystery surrounding the seemingly lovely town and dig into how the Men’s Association is involved. They plan to expose what strange events are lurking and have turned all of the women into carbon copies of each other,  before they too become just like the wives of the town. Let’s just say that events get increasingly disturbing.

In the role of director, Bryan Forbes fleshes out the creepy and scathing tale of individuality under threat and traditional gender roles. The film really structures the unusual findings and too good to be true appearance of the eponymous town to great effect. Forbes employs a measured pace that allows the creepiness to sink in and take us with it, much like the way Joanna and Bobbie feel as they delve deeper into the strange yet picturesque town. At first, The Stepford Wives lulls us into a false sense of security, then it slowly pulls the rug from under us as Joanna sees that the town is a very sinister place with unusual goings on. While The Stepford Wives is very much a thriller, it has a biting overtone of acerbic attack in the way it examines the themes of gender dominance and society’s need to have everything presentable. A bright cinematography is used throughout that counteracts the seeming idyllic nature of Stepford with the darkness the lies just below the all too perfect surface. The same can be said of the music, which begins lilting and calm before slowly giving rise to suspense and shock as Joanna fights to survive.

Katharine Ross is splendidly cast as the shocked and alarmed Joanna, who finds that she must fight to retain her individuality before it is too late. Ross has the right amount of pluck, spirit and strength for the part and she does it extremely well. Paula Prentiss is just as good as the rebellious and very helpful Bobbie, who along with Joanna is practically the only woman not affected by the strange cases of utter perfection and subservience. Peter Masterson is on edge and very shifty as Joanna’s spouse who begins to act very cold towards his wife right around the time he joins the secretive Association. Nanette Newman absolutely embodies the role of one of the drone-like women who make up the town and are constantly obsessed with pleasing their spouses with chilling preciseness. Tina Louise plays the role of one of the women who originally seems fine but is eventually doomed to become just like all the other wives after a ‘weekend vacation’. Patrick O’Neal has the necessary sliminess and menace for the role of the mysterious Diz, who seems to hold sway over many of the things in the town.

By turns disturbing and satirical, The Stepford Wives knows exactly what buttons to press to induce a creepy feeling of uneasiness and explore the themes it presents with an acidic eye.