Breaking Tears and Surprise

Mettel Ray is hosting another blogathon before the festive season, and this time it is called 'Breaking Emotion' (which reminds me, I really need to get on my bike and continue watching Breaking Bad). Unfortunately, I missed the first instalment - all about fear and awkwardity in movies - since I was too busy breaking all of my real emotions with the end of my high schooling. Alas, this week's emotions are tears and surprise, two emotions which I'm all too familiar with in films. Here's what Mettel has to say about them on her blog.

First up, three films (only three films...hmmm) that make me cry tears of sadness. The sad fact is that I can no longer go to the cinemas because I cry at every movie I see. I was an absolute wreck after Gravity two times over, which was rather embarrassing for the people who went through that movie with me. Alas, I do enjoy crying in movies, so here's the three that devastated me the most:

16 Days of Birthday, Day 14: I Like to Cry at Movies

Remember how in that post I did about happiness in movies, I said that I prefer watching depressing movies or movies that make me cry? Well yeah, I'm a big crier at the movies. I will literally cry at anything.

You know, I used to be such a tough girl. I used to feel sad at some movies, but I never used to cry in them. No way, I was too tough for that kind of shit. That was until I watched the original version of A Star is Born (the one that was made in 1937 and it has Janet Gaynor in it), and I found myself tearing up a bit at the end of it. At first I was pretty angry at myself for breaking my rule of not crying, but little did I know that this was the start of something new. After that little episode, I was soon tearing up at anything. These days, if a movie has one shred of emotion in it, I will cry like a baby.

If I were to choose a movie which I've cried the most in, it would probably have to be Requiem for a Dream. And I think I was crying a lot more the second time I watched it, mainly because I had my friend crying along with me. How is it that the movie is so traumatizing, even though no-one dies? Well, it's like all of the characters die inside, which is pretty sad to watch. Then there's Clint Mansell's scary music blaring in the background, which I think sounds exactly like the struggle of life. But the one thing that makes me feel absolutely wrecked is when Sara Goldfarb has her last dream of being on TV, right before the credits start to roll. From there on, I'm left frozen in front of the screen, with tears just streaming down my face. I think watching this movie twice is enough for me.

The movie which I cried the most in at the cinemas, however, is probably Never Let Me Go. You know, the totally underrated and forgotten movie that was adapted from one of the best books ever. This movie is endlessly sad for me, because I really don't want to imagine living a life which is set out for me. In fact, I don't want to imagine a life where some people are kept away so much from the outside world, partly because that's what they're made to do and partly because the rest of the world seemed very ashamed of those poor donors. When I think about all that kind of stuff, even though it's not real, it makes me really sad. Brb, I'm just crying into my keyboard...

As you know, I'm a huge fan of Schindler's List. I cry a lot during this movie because I just can't believe that something as horrible as that could have happened in history. But the moment which I always have a good cry in is during Oskar's "I could have done more" speech. Why? Well, Liam Neeson totally owns in that scene (I miss those days, Liam, please let your sensitive side show again?), but I would have said the exact same thing. I would have cried because I couldn't save one more. Then again, I'm not a player or a guy who is obsessed with money...Oskar's transformation just makes that scene all the more sweet. Now I'll tell you a semi-funny story: me and my drama class were watching this because we wanted to get a better idea of the Holocaust for our Anne Frank unit. When we got up to this scene, I started crying a lot. I mean, tears were streaming down my face so much and I had to keep mopping them up with my jersey sleeve. Luckily I composed myself right when the credits started rolling, and everyone was looking around giving each other the 'that was a good movie' look. In ICT, we started talking about the movie and one girl was like "I nearly cried at the end!" So I blurted out, "I was in tears at the end...I couldn't stop myself!" Then the guy who was sitting next to me while watching the movie said "I didn't see you crying!" Wow. Either he is blind and deaf or I'm just a really composed crier.

Anyway, those are my main crying movies that never fail to make use a box of tissues.

Here, however, is a list of the weirdest movies I've ever cried in:

• Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (when she gets a surprise birthday party...I wish I could have one of them but I always find out)
• Love and Other Drugs (okay, so I didn't cry during the movie. I just had a mental breakdown at the end of it for no reason - the movie was pretty dull)
• Gone with the Wind (it took me six watches to actually cry during the movie)
• Black Swan (I still don't know why I shed a tear during that movie...but it happened)
• Inception (the first time I saw it I cried so much - now I just cry at the sight of Christopher Nolan's name for some silly reason)
• The King's Speech (when I watched this with my cat when it first came out on DVD I cried rather vocally during the end speech...needless to say, my cat was scared)

What are some movies that you have had memorable crying experiences in? I'd like to know some weird ones!

16 Days of Birthday, Day 13: Music in the Movies

If you were to look through my iPod at the moment, you would be sad to find that I do not have any Justin Bieber. Or any of that rap crap that I am forced to listen to in ICT (i.e. a song that only has the words 'everybody in the club getting tipsy'). Or any emo screamo or whatever the hell it is called. If you were to judge me through my iPod, I think you would find that I'm not a normal teenager. Nor am I one of those hipster kids who only listen to indie music. Instead, at least 75% of my iPod is filled with songs from the movies, mainly full soundtracks.

I pretty much listen to my iPod every night, usually while I'm blogging, because I pretty much hate silence. And with all this movie music on my musical device, it all ties in, doesn't it? There are quite a few songs which I always have to listen to every time they come around on shuffle. Because everyday I'm shufflin'. And here they are:

According to iTunes, my most played song on my iPod is 528491 by Hans Zimmer off the wonderful Inception soundtrack. Now, all of you people probably love the track Time (more on that soon), but 528491 has to be my favourite. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: put this on your iPod, stick in your headphones, turn this song on full blast and close your eyes...it is more epic than the movie itself. The song has so many layers and it always reminds me of Cillian Murphy's eyes - mainly because this song is used while the camera is looking straight at him.

I'm also a huge fan of the track Time, don't worry. This song is so amazingly beautiful and it just adds more epicness to an already epic ending. To be honest, Time was probably the soundtrack to my latter half of 2010. I used to listen to it like five times a day.

The Social Network's soundtrack, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, has quite a few songs on my most played list. The one that has been played the most is surprisingly track #14, Magnetic'. This is the one which is played during the first meeting between Sean, Mark, Eduardo and Christy Lee, even though in the movie it's given a bit more of an Asian vibe to fit with the sushi bar they're at. I don't know why I love this song so much...I think it is probably because it's so frustratingly fun, just like the character of Sean Parker.

There are so many other songs that I like from The Social Network, though. If I were to rank the songs on the album from best to worst, the list would go something like this:

1. Magnetic
2. In Motion
3. A Familiar Taste
4. Intriguing Possibilities
5. The Gentle Hum of Anxiety
6. Soft Trees Break the Fall
7. In the Hall of the Mountain King
8. Pieces Form the Whole
9. Painted Sun in Abstract
10. Penetration
11. Almost Home
12. Hand Covers Bruise
13. On We March
14. It Catches Up with You
15. Complications with an Optimistic Outcome
16. Eventually We Find Our Way
17. Hand Covers Bruise, Reprise
18. 3:14 Every Night
19. Carbon Prevails

Haven't listened to The Social Network soundtrack yet? You can do so on Youtube here. I reckon that this soundtrack is probably one of the best modern soundtracks out there...it's just so damn perfect for the movie!

The Black Swan soundtrack by Clint Mansell (inspired by the work of Tchaikovsky) is one which I bought pretty much straight after I watched the movie around Oscar time. While most of this score is basically Tchaikovsky's work, Mansell does some amazing things with it, such as playing the Swan Lake songs in a distorted manner and giving his own paranoid twist to them. Two of my particular favourites are:

Perfection - This song is probably my favourite because it is the exact music played from the time Nina kisses Thomas to the very end. And if you've seen the film, then you know the ending is pretty damn epic, but still very beautiful. In five minutes, this song seems to capture every emotion that little Nina could possibly be going through at that point. Which makes for an amazing, heart-stopping and pretty song which is the perfect end to an almost perfect film.

Opposites Attract - Okay, so this song is the one that is played during that sex scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. But it is also the song which is played in the trailer, which I heard a lot when I was at work, therefore my ears really warmed to the song. It's a pretty cool song which has this really weird strain of evil in it...very good, very good.

In Kick-Ass there were two very awesome John Murphy songs which were incidentally both in Danny Boyle movies.

The first is Kaneda's Death, Pt. 2 (Adagio in D Minor), which is from one of the most underrated movies ever, Sunshine. It can be seen in Kick-Ass when Hit-Girl is trying to save Big Daddy...what an epic moment. If any of you keep up with the trailers, then you'll probably recognise it from The Adjustment Bureau's trailer. This is one stirring song which always makes me feel like someone on the moon bouncing around. Don't judge me.

The second in In the House - In a Heartbeat, from the scene where Jim is trying to save himself and his friends. The song starts out all nice, but then it goes totally badass at the end making for the perfect track to go with any action sequence. Which is shown in Kick-Ass, too, as this song is used in a scene which nearly made me forgive Nicolas Cage for all of his past mistakes: the one where he is setting fire to the warehouse. So badass.

Another Clint Mansell song that I really like is Lux Aeterna from Requiem for a Dream. Of course, this song is pretty much a staple for any movie lover as it is now used everywhere. But who remembers it in Requiem? That traumatic piece of music backing an already traumatic scene. While I'd like to blame Darren Aronofsky for wrecking my life forever after watching that movie, I think it's all Mansell's fault. This song still terrifies me.

The Theme from Schindler's List is a particular favourite of mine, too. Well, obviously, since the movie just so happens to be one of my favourites and John Williams' score work couldn't have been more impeccable. With Itzhak Perlman playing the violin, Williams manages to put every shred of pain, sadness and the heroism from Oskar Schindler into this achingly beautiful piece of music. It always makes me feel like crying, usually because when I hear this song I always think of Oskar saying "I could have done more!"

And just for randomness, here are some songs which I like that just so happen to be in movies (but they're not from scores or anything like that):


Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap - from (500) Days of Summer


Black Sheep by Metric - from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World


Hero by Regina Spektor - from (500) Days of Summer


Letters from the Sky by Civil Twilight - from I Am Number Four (movie sucks, the song is amazing)


I'll Try Anything Once by The Strokes - from Somewhere


Where is My Mind? by The Pixies - from Fight Club


La Boquilla (Dixone Remix) by Bomba Estereo - from Limitless


Stand Up by The Prodigy - from Kick-Ass


Little Green Bag by George Baker Selection - from Reservoir Dogs


You've Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger by Beth Rowley - from An Education

What are some of your favourite pieces of music from the movies?

What an R18 is Like for Someone Too Young to Watch Them

NZ isn't like America. The censorship system here is a load of crap. We have our G's and PG's, which absolutely anyone can hire or buy. Then we have our M's, which anyone could watch, but some shops which are far too strict with their DVDs say that people under 16 can't buy them, simply because the label says "Suitable for mature audiences 16 and over." But I could go and see any M rated movie at the cinemas without any trouble. Then we have an R rating, which means that people under 16 can only watch the movie if they have parental guidance. The same goes for RP13 and RP16 movies, but they are extremely rare. And of course, we have our restricted movies. First is an R13, which of course means that you have to be 13 or above to watch it legally. Following that are the R15 (very rare), R16 and the very worst, R18 movies. About 50% of the movies I watch are R16's, and I'm still a little shy of actually being 16. And to be honest, no one gives a crap about censorship anymore.

I usually refrain from watching R18 movies, since none of them are really that great unless they're directed by Quentin Tarantino or David Fincher, but the ones I have watched have mostly deserved such a strict rating. Yet, I haven't gone and shot anyone because I was so affected by the film. After watching a certain R18 film the other night, I decided I'd list some of the worst offenders of the great rating that I've seen. No, Antichrist or The Human Centipede are not of the list.

Offender One

Now, I admit, I wasn't disturbed by American Psycho's violence and killing and whatnot. Instead, I was disturbed by Christian Bale. We all know that Christian Bale is pretty much very different in every role he rakes, whether he be scarily skinny or huge and buff. But in this movie, he's just...scary. He really has fun with being this guy obsessed with status and power, and having the perfect business card with a watermark. But from the moment I saw him pulling off his facemask I was disturbed by this character. Seeing him run naked down a hallway with blood all over him after a hooker with a chainsaw only made it worse. And I do admit I let out a rather large gasp when he said he ate some of his victims brains. American Psycho is gloriously violent, even though it isn't the non-stop killing spree I'd thought it would be. So, while I wasn't so disturbed by the fact that he had heads in his fridge and likes to dance to 'Hip to be Square' before he axes a colleague, I was just disturbed by Patrick Bateman. He was an odd fellow, that's for sure.
The effect it's supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I'd probably want to go and kill people just because I want to. I might want to get a tanning bed. I could feel drawn to eating people. Om nom nom.
Actual effect on me: Since seeing the film, I really wanna get a morning routine. And "I have to return my video-tapes" is the best escape line ever.
The R18 verdict: 90% R18. I probably wouldn't rate it any less, as it is pretty graphic and the extended sex scene really doesn't do it any justice.

Offender Two

Ever since I first saw Requiem for a Dream I believe I haven't been the same. The movie literally damaged me. Now that's not because the movie is graphically violent or it has loads of sex or whatever in it. I think it's just an R18 because it is emotionally disturbing. Like, I don't ever want to turn out like any of these people. I don't want to get my arm chopped off (I must say I watched that scene through my fingers). I don't want to get addicted to diet pills because I have false hope. I don't want to turn to prostitution just because I want to pay to live in a fucked up life. I just can't stand to think that some people live like this. That's why, on the two occasions that I've experienced this movie, I cried so much it was like the world was ending. And I don't think it's so much a content issue as to why this movie is so heavily rated, it just must be because the rating people know that it isn't the most pleasant movie to watch. It was rated NC-17 because of that sex scene that happens in the middle of the film, but I don't think that adds much to the rating.
The effect it's supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I will suddenly be drawn to drugs. I'll want to lose weight via diet pills. I will do awful things just to get what I want.
Actual effect it had on me: I felt like my happy life ended after seeing this movie.
The R18 verdict: 50%. As far as content goes, it's actually not that bad. But then again, I wouldn't allow anyone under the age of 18 to watch it for their own sanity.

Offender Three

Any film depicting rape is at once worthy of the R18 sticker. Ironically, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was originally rated R16 when it was released in cinemas. However, when it was released on DVD and a lot more people started seeing it, it started receiving a lot of complaints for it's brutality, and about a month or two after the DVD was released, the rating was changed, and instead of just containing "sexual violence" it got changed to "brutal sexual violence". I'm actually glad the movie got moved up to such a rating, because that rape scene, in itself, is so graphic that it shouldn't really be seen by the young. But I could take it...twice. Apart from the rape scene, there are a few graphic murder-themed tales and scenes, as it's a very dark film. Other than that, there isn't much to complain about. I still wouldn't recommend that anyone my age watch it, though, because I know that people three times my age can't handle it.
The effect it is supposed to have on young kiddies like me: 'Men who Hate Women': the original title pretty much sums it up.
Actual effect on me: Even though it looks like a lot of shit goes down there, I still really really really wanna go to Sweden.
The R18 verdict: 75%. There are a few really shocking scenes scattered throughout the film, and it is a very hard film to watch.

Offender Four

Again, any movie with a rape scene is worthy of a high rating. The Poker House, a little seen gem starring Jennifer Lawrence before Winter's Bone shot her to fame, has a rather graphic, horrible rape scene in it, which gives it the R18 sticker fair and square. Like, after I saw that one scene, I just about wanted to shoot myself. It was freaking depressing to see someone who looks as fragile as Jennifer Lawrence being tormented by a big hulking guy. Other than that, the movie only has a bit of swearing, some violence, underage smoking/drug use and it's a little bit emotionally scarring. I'd totally recommend the movie though, especially coz I think I'm the only who has seen it.
The effect it is supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I guess I should probably want to smoke more.
Actual effect on me: I learnt to stay away from my Mum's pimp. Except she doesn't have a pimp, so that lesson is pretty much useless.
The R18 verdict: 30%. The rape scene is the only thing that gets this movie the R18 rating.

Offender Five

The last R18 film I have chosen is Kick-Ass, one of my favourite movies, and one that I could watch over and over again. This rating is rubbish. I believe, if a film is to be an R18, it should have swearing, sex, lots of violence and it should be emotionally scarring. Okay, so Kick-Ass uses the word 'fuck' probably 200 times. That's R16 level, to me. There ain't much sex in this movie, as such, but there are a lot of suggestions about that matter. I think it's the violence that gets the film such a high rating, because the only reason I can think of as to why this movie would possibly be damaging is when Nicolas Cage is burning alive going "TAAAAAAAAKE COVERRRRR CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILD! NOW SWITCH. TO KRYPTONIIIIIIIIIITEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Yes, that was emotionally scarring. However, the violence is gloriously giddy and it's really happy just throwing around blood. What really hangs me up though is that people get really pissed when they hear someone young like Chloe Moretz using the foul language she does, because that's not okay. But yet she can kill around five people in one scene with her own bare hands and no one bats an eyelash. Because swearing is worse than killing people.
The effect it is supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I shall want to wear a funny costume and going around killing bad people. I might want to swear all the time. I should probably get the wrong idea about superheroism.
Actual effect on me: Like Nicolas CAGE I have learnt TO put emphasis on THE wrong WORDS. I also MUST now name every CAT I see Mr. BITEY.
The R18 verdict: 10%. The violence is definitely at an R18 level, but I'm pretty sure everyone my age can handle it. Same goes for the swearing. Swearing is nothing to me anymore, as I'm pretty sure there aren't as many different swear words as their used to be.

Other notable R18 films I have seen which actually haven't really affected me:
Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Machete, Reservoir Dogs, Se7en, Unthinkable, The Killer Inside Me, Perfect Blue, Harry Brown, Brooklyn's Finest, Women in Trouble, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, The Wackness.Plus, I'm a huge fan of True Blood, which is probably the biggest offender of all when it comes to the R18 sticker.

So, the point is, the R18 rating is merely a warning. People know that it isn't going to be all fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows because it's rated the highest possible censorship rating. And half the time, the content doesn't even match the rating. Bottom line is, when I finally turn 16, I'll be over the moon because I can finally go to R16 movies. When I turn 18, I'll be excited for...other stuff.

Top 10 movies that made me cry like a baby...

Up until late 2008, I used to think I was such a fearless child and I would never cry in any movie. Never. Then I watched a certain movie and it would seem that I can cry in just about any movie I watch. If one thing even remotely looks cryable I will probably turn on the waterworks. This sounds like a very melancholy list, if I do say so myself.

10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The end is inevitable, but the outcome is still so sad. However, possibly the saddest part about this movie is Benjamin's voiceover which takes a look at the people he had met during his unusual life:

"Some people, were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people, dance."

Then we see water rushing through the train station up to the backwards clock. I couldn't think of a more heartbreakingly beautiful way to end a film.

9. A Single Man

There is no doubting that A Single Man is a pretty sad movie right the way through, as it is pretty much a quest for suicide from start to almost finish. But the end is so sad in the way that when someone finally reaches happiness, the world has to go and screw it up again. As George says, though, "Everything is exactly the way it's meant to be."

8. Australia

I've never really talked about this film or my fascination with Baz Luhrmann's films on the blog. I'm a huge fan of Baz Luhrmann's body of work, and even though this is particularly my least favourite, this made me cry the most out of any of them (and hey, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! did make me cry a lot). In fact, when I saw it in cinemas about two years back, I think I cried on three separate occasions. It's such a soppy film, but amongst all that sop that I'm usually immune to, there's such raw emotion that I couldn't help to shed a tear for. The only thing was, I wasn't crying as much as the middle aged women three rows behind me. I suspect that had something to do with Hugh Jackman.

7. A Star is Born (1937)



Here is the movie that started it all. Back in late 2008, I settled in to watch A Star is Born, which I bought for $3.50 from a bargain bin at the Warehouse, not really knowing what to expect. Amidst all the really shonky technicolour which hadn't been enhanced for the DVD release, I found my eyes watering towards the end. That was pure shock for me, as I'd never felt that before. And considering this was the first version of this well-known story, I can't even begin to imagine what the Judy Garland version would be like.

6. Inception

Okay, I don't for the life of me know why I cry in this movie every bloody time I watch it. It isn't even that sad. Let's take a trip back to that Thursday night, July 22nd, 2010. I was pretty excited to see this movie. More than that, I just about had a heart attack every time I heard the word 'Inception' mentioned. So, I guess you could say I had high expectations for this movie. I think I cried on three separate occasions, but I can't remember exactly which ones. But by the end, I was bawling my eyes out, possibly from the fact that this movie exceeded my expectations. I actually walked out of the cinemas with tears streaming down my face and didn't stop shaking for like an hour. This may sound strange to all you sane people out there, but Inception hit me in such a weird way that it made me question my sanity.

5. Once Were Warriors

For those of you who aren't familiar with NZ cinema (i.e. all of you), Once Were Warriors is perhaps our most famous movie ever. And guess what? It is about domestic violence. It's pretty much the most disturbing piece of cinema I have ever had to put my innocent soul through, and I'm sure I came out of it damaged. While this is a fantastic film on so many levels, Once Were Warriors is probably one of the hardest films to watch. If you have seen it, I promise you that NZ isn't as violent as this movie makes it out to be, but unfortunately most of what it is saying is true in a lot of parts of this country. This disturbing truth is probably the reason why I found it so hard to keep my eyes dry.

4. Gone with the Wind

It's weird because it took me four watches of this movie to actually cry. I don't know why, but that fourth time this movie really hit me. And ever since, I have been bawling my eyes out during this. There's just something about Scarlett's struggles, Melanie's sweetness and Rhett's discontent that strikes a chord with me. I guess that's why they call Gone with the Wind such a feminine piece of film. And I also guess this film is the reason romantic dramas are so soppy these days.

3. Toy Story 3

I wouldn't say Toy Story 3 is a very sad film. It's just such a tearjerker. Watching the trilogy all together probably made the end of this one even more sad. You see these toys evolve, and soon they become your best friends. But when it all comes down to the end, it feels like a hole has been ripped out of your heart. Even though you know the toys are going to be safe at their new home, you can't help but feel sad because this is the end of an era. But it's a happy ending, all the same.

2. Revolutionary Road

This has to be one of my absolute favourite movies and favourite book, as well. I don't care if Titanic is supposed to be the saddest movie of all time or whatever, because I think this Leo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet outing made me cry the most. It's an ultra depressing film about the dreams of people stuck living a suburban life and a look at a couple on the brink of disaster. The way DiCaprio and Winslet play it out is simply beautiful, but the end is so devastating, and that all comes down to DiCaprio. When I see his face after he finds out what happens, I swear my heart shatters into a million pieces. Every single time.

1. Requiem for a Dream

Okay, so you know how most people watch this movie once and they're like "I'm never watching that movie again!" I was one of those people. Once this movie ended, I started crying uncontrollably. If there's any movie that changed my life, it was this one. However, I got forced to watch it again not so long ago. I warn you, this is not a good idea. Even though I knew what was going to happen, this film hit me like a million bricks. I literally cried for an hour, and then couldn't get to sleep for quite a while (it was 3am, mind you). Seriously, Requiem for a Dream is the most depressing film I have ever seen in my life. I literally feel like my innocence is gone now I have watched this. Some Christmas present this movie turned out to be. (Note: I actually do rank this as one of the best films I have ever seen)

Which movies make you bring out the tissues?

Classic--Requiem for a Dream

or: The most depressing film. Ever.

One word to sum it up: Depressing.

How about this for irony? At Christmas, the happiest time of the year, I asked my friend to get me Requiem for a Dream, since I had wanted to see it for a long time. Just a little under a month later, it finally got posted and I received it as my Christmas present. Little did I know that that Christmas present wasn't really the happy gift that I could rejoice over. Instead, I literally felt drained of all happiness when that movie ended. I don't think I have ever cried so much during a movie!

Pills and heroin offer fulfillment of the dreams of four residents of Brooklyn's Brighton Beach in the shadow of a crumbling Coney Island amusement park. Sara (Ellen Burstyn) dreams of appearing on television wearing a red dress that's a bit snug. So she starts a diet assisted by uppers. Her son Harry (Jared Leto), his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly), and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) pin their hopes for money on moving up from pushing nickel bags of heroin to buying in bulk. They also deal to support their growing habits. Things are going well: Harry buys his mum a new TV, she's losing weight, she has status among her friends, Tyrone's girlfriend is cool, and the team has money in a shoe box. These dreams are addictive.

Jesus Christ. This movie is not one I want to watch again anytime soon. It was far too traumatic. I have to admit, with the R18 rating heavily slapped on it, I feel as if I was too young to watch this movie. And I never admit defeat to a censors rating. I was watching it, thinking, 'this isn't too depressing...' However, once I got to the scene where Harry injects heroin into a decaying hole in his arm, I was watching this through my fingers. Seeing the end to each characters story thrown together in that beautifully edited climax tore me to pieces. I knew the effects of drugs, but I think I was too naï­ve to believe that it was quite that heartbreaking. My warning for this movie is: it's ultra depressing, on an epic scale.

Besides the shocking story, this movie is very well made. Darren Aronofsky, in his early years of film making, created a movie which is a lot like being high (I guess). The editing is perfect, and there are such quick cuts that the movie just blows away from you in no time. Aronofsky uses every trick in the book: split-screens, time lapsed photography, extremely tight closeups, long tracking shots, hip hop montages...it's the kind of film making that is truly amazing to watch. Set to a soaring score by Clint Mansell, the momentum this movie builds up is the type I could expect from an epic action film rather than a drama, which is something that happens too rarely. In short, the style of this movie is the kind that I go for. If I were to ever make a movie, then it would probably be similar to this.

The performances, too, are phenomenal. Especially the one from Ellen Burstyn as the tragic Sara Goldfarb. She is the main emotional arc in this movie, and her slow burning insanity is heart breaking to watch. The unfortunate thing is that her characters dream is immensely close to reality. Jennifer Connelly is wonderful as Marion. I absolutely adored the bath scene she's in which is a slick copy from a Japanese movie called Perfect Blue. Jared Leto isn't fantastic in this movie, but its the type of movie which makes you think that he should really still act. Marlon Wayans is surprising, and proves that he shouldn't really be doing...whatever it is that he does these days. The performances, the direction, the music...they're all at great form. And that's why Requiem for a Dream rocks, even if it's emotionally rattling.


THE VERDICT: Darren Aronofsky's talents are well on display here, with some clever visuals that help tell a tragic and depressingly true story of dreams shattered.

9/10