FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Donnie Darko [2002] [DVD]

Donnie Darko [2002] [DVD]
enlarge	Director: Richard Kelly (II) Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze, James Duval, Mary McDonnell Studio: Prism Leisure Corporation Category: DVD List Price: ~~£5.99~~ Buy Used: £0.03 as of 23/11/2009 05:47 GMT details You Save: £5.96 (99%) New (38) Used (209) Collectible (4) from £0.03 Seller: entertainment-2-go Rating: 233 reviews Sales Rank: 5579 Format: PAL, Colour, DTS Surround Sound Languages: English (Unknown), English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 111 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 EAN: 5050824150257 ASIN: B000171RZE Theatrical Release Date: January 30, 2002 Release Date: February 2, 2004 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review IDonnie Darko/I is a thought-provoking, touching and distinctive offering from relative newcomer, Richard Kelly (II). It's 1988 in small-town America and Donnie, a disturbed teenager on medication and undergoing psychoanalysis for his blackouts and personality disorders, is being visited by a being in a rabbit suit whom he calls Frank. It's this anti-Harvey that saves Donnie from being crushed to death when an airplane engine falls from the sky onto his house. This is the beginning of their escalating relationship, which, as Donnie follows Frank's instructions, becomes increasingly violent and destructive. Added to this is Frank's warning of the impending apocalypse and Donnie's realisation that he can manipulate time, leading to a startling denouement where nearly everything becomes clear. p "Nearly everything", because IDonnie Darko/I is a darkly comic, surreal journey in which themes of space, time and morality are interwoven with a classic coming-of-age story of a teenage boy's struggle to understand the world around him. The film leaves the viewer with more questions than it answers, but then that's part of its charm. Performances are superb: Jake Gyllenhaal underplays the mixed-up kid role superbly and Donnie's episodes of angst positively erupt out of the screen. There are also some starry cameos from Mary McDonnell as Donnie's long-suffering mother, Patrick Swayze as Jim Cunningham, the personal-development guru with a terrible secret, and Noah Wyle and Drew Barrymore as Donnie's progressive teachers. Undoubtedly too abstruse for some tastes, IDonnie Darko/I's balance of outstanding performances with intelligent dialogue and a highly inventive story will reward those looking for something more highbrow than the average teenage romp. --IKristen Bowditch/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 233 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...47 Next » I Think Weýve All Seen Bonanza!!! ***** March 3, 2003 Mr. N. Carnegie (Kirkcaldy, Scotland, UK.) 84 out of 89 found this review helpful Donnie Darko is a very difficult movie to characterise and assign to one or even two genres, which is also part of its appeal and fascination. It opens with the title character (Jake Gyllenhall) waking in his pyjamas, with his bike lying next to him, on a highway overlooking his hometown of Middlesex, set in an idyllic tree covered valley. Straightening up he looks out toward the rising sun on the horizon and with a knowing smile he re-mounts his bicycle and makes his way back home to the tune of Echo and The Bunnymen's 'The Killing Moon' in what is an excellent opening sequence. Right from these first few frames it was obvious that I was about to witness something very original and it had me hooked.pDonnie Darko is inspired (I would guess) by the weird combination of Philip K Dick, Wes Anderson, JD Salinger and the classic James Stewart movie 'Harvey'. It announces the arrival of two great new talents in Writer/Director Richard Kelly and the young actor Jake Gyllenhall, in what is a hugely original, ingenious and entertaining movie. Set in 1988, around Halloween time, this movie has the conventional leafy-suburbia-plus-high-school setting, which alludes to the horror genre of Carrie and Halloween but it is no horror movie. It also has specific elements that suggest that it's a psychodrama about a young man with schizophrenia but this is not 'A Beautiful Mind'. It also ponders the possibility of time travel but this is not science fiction. Stranger still, Donnie Darko is unusual in that (unlike most retro 1980's pictures such as The Wedding Singer) it actually has a very cool soundtrack drawn from the period of my youth, which includes contributions from the likes of Echo and The Bunnymen, Tears For Fears and Joy Division.pSo, what is Donnie Darko about? Well, without giving up too much of the plot, Donnie is continuously visited by a 6 foot tall rabbit named Frank, which unlike the Pooka in the classic 'Harvey' is both visible to the audience and strangely satanic. Frank tells Donnie that the world is going to end in 28 days six hours and forty two minutes but not to worry as everything is going to be all right. Guided by Frank he narrowly misses being killed when an engine from a 747 crashes through his house whilst he is lying sleeping on a local golf course and the plot thickens when it becomes apparent that the aviation authority has no record of any aircraft losing an engine. Donnie is of course undergoing therapy with a local shrink and hypnotherapist played by Katherine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) and the suggestion is of course that Donnie is hallucinating, for as his sister says "he hasn't been taking his pills". One of Donnie's recurring visions suggests that he can see the future before it happens and so he becomes obsessed with the possibility of time travel and a book written by a retired teacher, who is now a scary old recluse, 'The Philosophy of Time Travel'. There are also many other sub-plots including Donnie being inspired by his English teacher (Drew Barrymore) and Graham Greene's short story 'The Destructors' into some playful vandalism. In addition to this Donnie's subversive thoughts and actions begin to undermine the stability of the local community that is strangely gripped by a slimy fundamentalist guru played by Patrick Swayze.pMuch of this movie is darkly comic and there are some great scenes including a conversation between Donnie and his therapist, where she asks him what he thinks about at school. Like most teenage boys he inevitably replies "having sx" before proceeding to unbutton his trousers about to msturbate. There is also a scene where at a PTA meeting Donnie's mother challenges the local bigot by asking "Do you even know who Graham Greene is?" she confidently and proudly replies "Oh please! I think we've all seen Bonanza".pPersonally I loved this movie but whether or not you enjoy this movie probably depends upon how far left of centre you like your movies. If you are not a fan of independent cinema or movies by the likes of Wes Anderson and David Lynch then you probably wont like this. However there is much to recommend in Donnie Darko, not least the cast, which includes, Noah Wyle (ER), Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Confessions of A Dangerous Mind) and the previously mentioned Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore and Katherine Ross. Jake Gyllenhaal's exquisite comic timing and laidback personality endows Donnie's existence with a dreamlike quality at odds with his teen angst and the suburban paranoia of his surroundings. Meanwhile writer/director Richard Kelly creates a wonderful sense of tension and keeps you guessing throughout the movie that even after the final titles have rolled you are still left to mull over what you have just witnessed. pWhilst critics may argue that Donnie Darko fails as a psychological study and/or horror movie, you cant help but feel they are missing the point, as it deliberately avoids easy classification to a specific genre and instead concentrates on being intelligent, ingenious and highly original. Closing appropriately to a cover version of the old Tears For Fears song 'Mad World' and the lyrics "the dreams on which I'm dying are the best I've ever had", neatly ties up the previous two hours and what was for me a very satisfactory cinematic experience. Destined for cult status this undoubtedly deserves five stars! one of the best January 22, 2004 11 out of 12 found this review helpful there are many great qualities about this film, but the one that stands out is the impact it has on you. it stops and makes you think and grips you all the way through. the plot is intricate and exciting and the characters well built. and when it comes to the end of the film i guarentee you, you will spend at least the next day trying to figure out what it means... and the beauty of it is you will never understand if fully. one other thing to mention is the soundtrack featuring great tracks form the church, jooy division and gary jules. a must see. Your new favourite Independent Cult Movie! October 9, 2003 Trelloskilos 54 out of 63 found this review helpful I heard about this movie through word of mouth, which is always a good thing, but definitely a great thing when it comes from several dierent places. Relatives, friends, internet message boards and forums all seemed to be asking "Haven't you watched Donnie Darko yet?". I didn't see any major advertising on this film, no hype, just people I knew asking me that damned annoying question. So I had to see it.pMy reaction? Stunned pretty much sums it up.pThere has been enough written in other reviews about giant bunnies, apocalyptic prophecies and time travel, so I won't offer a synopsis. However, I felt that it was definitely one of these films where the journey is just as fascinating as the destination. Not as common an occurrence in movies as people might think...pThe film itself has something amazing to offer in just about every single scene. From well-placed philosophical soundbites to inexplicable and mysterious plot developments. Nothing is formulaic, and everything is geared to keep the viewer's attention. There are also several neat touches that really show the film's subtle humour, some obvious, some more subtle. To those who have watched it, how many of you made the connection with the opening music to the film ("Killing Moon" by Echo the Bunnymen), to "Frank", in his own way, a Bunnyman? There's many more to discover in the film.pDonnie Darko mixes some of the best ideas from other "independent" films (Heathers, Virgin Suicides, Mulholland Drive) and adds some ideas of its own. It has a fairly unique atmosphere to it, and although some may not appreciate the ending, the film still has a strong sense of completion to it.pIt was, all in all a pretty elating experience watching it. At least now, if someone asks me if I've seen Donnie Darko, I don't feel left out of a loop. Incredible, moving and thought provoking December 22, 2003 5 out of 5 found this review helpful I have never been so moved or effected by a film like this before, ever. Don't watch this on your own - you'll need a hug at the end, a physical gesture to acknowledge what you've all just been through. A turbulent, disturbing and hypnotic tale, the many subplots juggle the mind through many phases, with the uncomfortable sense that you are never in control. As Michael Andrews' superbly haunting rendition of 'Mad World' hits you at the end, you'll be fighting for breath. Cinematic genius like this does not appear often... 6ft bunny January 3, 2004 5 out of 5 found this review helpful I have watched many films and most of them live up to my very low expectations, transparent, easy to watch and understand and pleasing to the eye. This is where Donnie Darko is so spectacularly different to any other film. I have watched it twice now, each time gaining a little more understanding of its religious and philosophical conitations. pDonnie Darko is a highly intelligent, troubled young man, who suffers from visions of a 6ft entity in a hideious bunny suit, these visions tell Donnie that the world is going to end and tells him to perform increasingly violent acts (which he does). The film indicates to the viewer that this bunny may be divine intervention, a time traveller or could this just be a product of the boys apparent mental health problem. The film also focuses on Donnie coping with the pressures of every day growing up in a disfunctional society and this fact is amazingly echoed with the last track 'Mad World' by Gary Jules.pAn unbelievable moving, funny, thought provoking and unusual film. Seeing is deciding. Showing reviews 1-5 of 233 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...47 Next »

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