Requiem for a Dream

The depiction of various addictions in "Requiem For A Dream" and the consequences is just relentless. The film uses novel ways to present in short-hand form the way a drug addict shoots up and gets high, and then shows them as they contend with what happened during the time they were high and out of touch with reality (very dull and repetitive cycle of existence, but very well done in a filmic experience). The addiction to diet pills is shown to create monsters out of ordinary household appliances because of the inner need for acceptance is strong and can overrule common sense and reality. The craving from addictions is shown to rule someone's everyday actions, and leads them into a spiral of despair that totally eradicates their hopes and dreams, instead, the addictions take root and rule their life, suppressing any form of a bright and happy future otherwise.

The relentless of the addiction is readily accessible to the viewer, you find yourself in sync with the routine of addictions. The film shows the relentless in addictions that just consume you and those around you. The fate of the four main characters unfolds powerfully and sadly as the film races to its conclusion, and then abruptly halts. This makes for a dizzying impact on the viewer, one who will welcome the chance to get off the merry-go-round of addiction, even if the ride was only 90 minutes long.

I sat in my seat as the credits rolled on the screen, almost paralyzed, thankfully my breathing is an autonomic response because at that moment, my brain was not thinking at all about breathing. It was dazed and confused, and sympathetic and apathetic at the same time. I walked out of the theater, walked a block or two to get to my car, all the while, somewhat shaking, my teeth shivered and chattered, mainly by product of the cold weather at the time, but not entirely.And yes, I found this film to be one of the best film of 2000. It was a damn shame that it didn't get the wider release it should have gotten, but the director, Darren Aronofsky, stuck to his guns, didn't compromise. Once he found out that the MPAA saddled his film with a NC-17 rating, the decision was made release it with an "unrated" rating, and limited its release in the theaters, but every high school student should see this film, regardless of its graphic content because its a cautionary tale of losing the ability to chase one's dreams due to the forces of addiction.

I give it 4 stars or a grade of A.