Brandon at Random Reviews

Hmm, this movie falls into the category of having seen it long enough ago that I didn’t remember anything aside from a TV being rolled to a pawn shop early on. This has happened to me with a depressing amount of movies over the years, which is why I’ve recently tried to start logging what I watch right after I watch it. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway into a shitty movie you’d forgotten about seeing and having it all come hurtling back to you and force you shut it off.

So…wow…this movie. I’m gonna try mix the positive and the negative. Some great performances by the 4 major characters here. Ellen Burstyn is well cast and really goes all in on acting super nuts. Jared Leto is a talented actor, but this is an early role and it shows. Also Leto had the worst portrayal of a live-action Joker ever on screen, and I won’t soon forget that. Jennifer Connelly is great here as well and Marlon Wayans really holds his own in a rare dramatic role.

So to give a spoiler free synopsis, this movie explores the lives of a handful of people going through addiction and whatnot. The coolest part of this flick by far is the cinematography, effects, and general choices of how each shot is set up. Early on there is a scene where the frame is presented in split screen and each side is showing the perspective of two different characters interacting with each other to great effect. There are other very cool things done with the camera that are atypical of most Hollywood movies and it does set this movie apart. At times these things are deliberately jarring, showing the mind-states and situations of drug-addled individuals at the height of dependency.

The purpose, in my eye, of this movie is to give some semblance of understanding of what the characters are going through with surrealism and a sense of helplessness. This movie is definitely not for everyone, and if the thought of people doing drugs puts you all in a tizzy, then I’d say steer clear Big Tuna, head for open waters. I will also say this is not a movie you really need to see multiple times so see it as cheap as you can.

Overall I really enjoyed this movie, I don’t have much bad to say about it. Except the Jared Leto thing. That dude sent fucking used condoms to fellow cast members before the release of Suicide Squad in hopes of letting them know how twisted of a Joker he was. What a douche.

I caught Requiem for a Dream on HBO Max if you wanna see it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2