Powerful New York story of addiction and self-destruction from the cult writer of 'Last Exit To Brooklyn' and the director of Pi
Like Last Exit To Brooklyn, Requiem is a New York tale based on a novel by that purveyor of cheery fare, Hubert Selby Jr.
Sara (Ellen Burstyn), a self-consciously overweight widow, is addicted to TV, chocolate and 'diet pills'. Her son Harry (Jared Leto) and his girlfriend, Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and best friend/partner in petty crime Ty (Marlon Wayans), meanwhile have harder tastes. The habits gradually push aside any other aspect of the characters' everyday lives. Corruption sets in and their degredation bottoms out. It isn't pretty: minds, limbs, freedom and self-respect are all lost.
Requiem is a contemporary fairy tale, with stylised locations and extreme, even simplistic, characterisations. Sara's world doesn't extend beyond the stoop of her Projects block; her obsession is a parody of TV addiction. The young 'uns are unreasonably beautiful and poetically determined to self-destruct. To heighten the unreality, Aronofsky builds on the experimental surrealism of his debut Pi, using rich colours, deep shadows, slow-mo, time-lapse and sundry innovative effects. The style, with its advertising and pop-promo inheritance, is close to that of David Fincher's Fight Club or Danny Boyle's Trainspotting.
What makes this gruesome tale of woe worthwhile is its raw cautionary power. Be warned - despite the funky style, this film will repulse as well as compel. Although the filmmaking has a stylish glamour the portrayal of drug use is nothing short of gruesome. The ruination of these lives will leave a haunting, disturbing impression.
Sara (Ellen Burstyn), a self-consciously overweight widow, is addicted to TV, chocolate and 'diet pills'. Her son Harry (Jared Leto) and his girlfriend, Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and best friend/partner in petty crime Ty (Marlon Wayans), meanwhile have harder tastes. The habits gradually push aside any other aspect of the characters' everyday lives. Corruption sets in and their degredation bottoms out. It isn't pretty: minds, limbs, freedom and self-respect are all lost.
Requiem is a contemporary fairy tale, with stylised locations and extreme, even simplistic, characterisations. Sara's world doesn't extend beyond the stoop of her Projects block; her obsession is a parody of TV addiction. The young 'uns are unreasonably beautiful and poetically determined to self-destruct. To heighten the unreality, Aronofsky builds on the experimental surrealism of his debut Pi, using rich colours, deep shadows, slow-mo, time-lapse and sundry innovative effects. The style, with its advertising and pop-promo inheritance, is close to that of David Fincher's Fight Club or Danny Boyle's Trainspotting.
What makes this gruesome tale of woe worthwhile is its raw cautionary power. Be warned - despite the funky style, this film will repulse as well as compel. Although the filmmaking has a stylish glamour the portrayal of drug use is nothing short of gruesome. The ruination of these lives will leave a haunting, disturbing impression.
Verdict
A visually adventurous cautionary tale that continues to linger in the system long after the credits roll.
A visually adventurous cautionary tale that continues to linger in the system long after the credits roll.
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