Hard to imagine I have been completely blown away by two incredible
movies this weekend but it happened. The film is the first motion
picture from young writer/filmmaker Richard Kelley and takes place in a
rural Virgininan town in the month before the Presidential election of
1988. Donny Darko, the middle child of three is being medicated for
emotional issues after burning down some house.
It's your typical
dramatic horror mystery sci-fi time-travel comedy set in a very white
town in the USA. Donnie is haunted by a futuristic man in a bunny suit
named Frank and compelled to do various things during his sleepwalks.
During the audience's first introduction to Frank, he tells Donnie how
the world will end precisely to the minute - which is about 28 days and
a few hours. It was during this time Frank called him from his bed to
sleepwalk out to a golf field, saving Donnie's life as an airplane
engine crashes into his house in the middle of the night, destroying
Donnie's bedroom. From this point on, Donnie struggles with the reality
of his mysterious "imaginary friend", family life, going to a private
school, teenage sexual urges, teachers who are brainwashed and the few
sympathetic ears like his therapist, two teachers, and a mysterious old
woman who in her hayday wrote a book which unlocks the secrets to his
problems with time travel. Sounds pretty fucked up, but there's never a
weak moment in the film, as every character is wonderfully animated,
personal and entertaining. Poor Donnie, however, who is forced to
become a true superhero at the young age of 16. Wait till you see how
he does it in the end,... I'm completely shocked this film hasn't made
larger circuits yet, but given the right amount of exposure, this could
be much much bigger. It's destined to become a classic once it's on
video/DVD as the people I knew who had seen this have gone back
multiple times. I know I want to go back. More information and playing
locations are at
www.donniedarko.com. -