Donnie Darko 
(2001)
reviewed by Head Cheeze

How does one even begin to describe Donnie Darko. It certainly doesn't fit neatly into any category. Sure, it's an effective psychological horror film, but it's an equally effective blacker than black comedy, as well as a highly charged emotional drama that makes American Beauty look like American Pie. So, once again, how does one describe Donnie Darko? I think brilliant is a good start.

Donnie Darko (Gyllenhaal) is an emotionally disturbed teenager from an upper-class family living in a picture perfect suburbia. Donnie's problems aren't delved into too deeply, suffice it to say he is thought to be a paranoid schizophrenic. His world, already a muddied mess of delusion and confusion, is further complicated by the arrival of his new "friend" Frank, a mysterious figure in a hideous bunny suit who guides Donnie on a path that could either lead to enlightenment or extinction with the prospect of time travel, and he has just over 28 days to find out.

I can't go into much detail with Donnie Darko, because the film's so detail oriented that I could fill up several pages with a thorough synopsis, and that would not even begin to cover the myriad of characters who cross Donnie's path and their own personal stories that are evoked here. Equal parts Election, Welcome to the Dollhouse, The Sixth Sense and the aformentioned American Beauty, Darko transcends the conventional and is, quite simply, my favorite film, from any genre, of 2001. It's scary, thought provoking, funny, sad, sincere and perfect from it's opening credits to the final fade out.

The DVD from CBS/FOX Home Video does the film justice with a ton of extras including a commentary from Kelly and start Gyllenhaal, informercials from the film's self-help guru Jim Cunningham (Swayze), Theatrical and Television spots, The Philosophy of Time Travel book, a music video, deleted and extended scenes with commentary, and more. The film looks fantastic and the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack is superb.

If you are in the market for a film that will hit you on virtually every level of the emotional spectrum, Donnie Darko is just such a motion picture. This is a film that I cannot recommend highly enough.