Donnie Darko
01/07/2003 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 

video: Metrodome MTS8061. 108 minutes. Price: varies starting from £ 9.99 so shop around. stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Mary MacDonnell, Katherine Ross, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle.

check out website: www.donniedarko.com

Everything seems to be revolving around 28 days this month.

Donnie Darko is informed by Frank, a humanoid silver rabbit with human-like teeth (the buck-teeth stops here if you pardon the pun), that the world ends after said period shortly after an aeroplane motor smashes into his home while he’s out.

Donnie is not your most normal teen-age kid. A pre-teen arsonist - ‘there was no one in the house when I burnt it down’, he is now on medication and seeing a therapist regularly. Why should anyone believe him about ‘Frank’?

For the rest of this month, we follow Donnie’s life as he sorts out the mess he sees his town is in his way.

How to say much more without giving the plot away. There is an under-current of David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet’ film about this story in that things are a lot dirtier beneath this supposedly pleasant town.

When you mix this with the principle plot element from the films like ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ or ‘Carnival Of Souls’ you should have an inkling where this story is going. This shouldn’t be used as an indication as a film lacking in originality.

If anything, the film is a rather compelling viewing just to see what happens next. No doubt film students will be repeat viewing for many years looking for all the metaphors they can throw a thesis at.

A compelling performance video that should be on your list to watch.

GF Willmetts