Donnie Darko (2001)

Director: Richard Kelly

Story: Richard Kelly

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone

Music: Michael Andrews

Time: 128 minutes

Bottom-line: Intriguing premise, but doesn’t get something right in the execution

Richard Kelly’s debut feature is one of those films that ended up a box office bomb, but received strong critical acclaim. The cast consists of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Katharine Ross, Beth Grant and a lot of others in supporting roles. The film seems to come onto the viewer quite strongly, but somehow never gets there; something holds it back.

 

Gyllenhaal as Donnie, and Malone as Gretchen

Every living creature on this Earth dies alone.

October 2, 1988; Middlesex, Virginia: Donnie Darko (J. Gyllenhaal) is a troubled teenager. That night, he is lured outside his house by a six-foot-tall, horribly-disguised, bunny rabbit named Frank, who tells him that the world will end in exactly 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 28 seconds. At dawn, Donnie returns home and sees that a jet engine has crashed into his room. His family: father, mother and two sisters, have no idea about it. Donnie tells his therapist, Doctor Thurman (Ross) about Frank. He also dating a girl called Gretchen (Malone). Another mysterious character Donnie bumps into (often!) is “Grandma Death” (Patience Cleveland), an old lady in the neighbourhood. Later, Frank makes Donnie turn violent, damage the school and insulting others. As Doomsday closes in, Donnie finds himself in a mess involving time-travel, hallucinations, and fantasies.

 

Frank: the six-foot-tall bunny rabbit

I don’t remember ever being so uncomfortable sitting through a two-hour film, and certainly not when it’s a science fiction film. Yet, Donnie Darko was one such experience. There was hardly any suspense felt, even though the story demands it: there’s a countdown to the end of the world, a number of weird characters and hallucinations, Donnie’s actions getting more intimidating by the day… and yet, I never felt a chill, or intrigue, but certainly did feel boredom. The ending certainly calls for a second watching, but I think I’m going to pass, for now.

 

Donnie, with Grandma Death (Cleveland)

The science fiction part of the film may or may not (the latter, in my case) be an area of interest to you. The story puts together various religious references, sci-fi concepts, horror elements and high school drama. There are subtle hints – pay attention to the pages of the book that show up in the background – to hint what would happen (or rather, what has happened so far) when the deadline is reached. I admit, despite the scientific inaccuracies that crop up in these films, the story seemed quite clean. The narration could have greatly improved.

 

Donnie's family

The film introduces too many characters, especially amongst the members of the school; most of them have small, yet catalytic, roles to play. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the teenager is brilliant; though it is not his most mature performance, this is highly commendable. The only other highlight from the cast is Beth Grant, playing the strict, rule-adhering gym teacher of Donnie’s school. The visual effects and editing are quite good. I still can’t believe they made a bunny rabbit into such a horrifying figure!

The last few minutes of the film have a story of their own; how much you can make out of those scenes is an indicator of how much of the film you have understood. Reading a couple of explanations of the plot helped me get a grip (had to, to avoid a second watch!), and will make you watch the film again to spot the clues. That reason apart, I wouldn’t recommend this film as one to revisit from time to time.  

My Rating: 3/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%