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Requiem For A Dream

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Requiem For A Dream - 4/10/2005 3:08:57 PM   
Empire Admin

 

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Post #: 1
- 3/4/2006 10:53:41 AM   
ukedge87

 

Posts: 502
Joined: 14/10/2005
I watched Requeim For A Dream last night, and I really enjoyed it. Although it didn't flow as well as it could, that was it's only flaw. The direction was brillant, as was the soundtrack and acting performance. It was an hour and half of pure tugging on your heart strings, as it brought the realitys of drug use to the forefront without shoving morals down your throat. Jen Conolly in the film is so stand-out it's unbelievable. Comparisons with Trainspottings are obvious, it's not as good as the Scottish film but it's along the same lines.

I give this film four potatoes out of a possible five potatoes.

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Post #: 2
requiem for a dream - 27/4/2006 4:17:26 PM   
guysalisbury

 

Posts: 168
Joined: 3/11/2005
this film left me feeling very numb, but id have to say its pretty flawless

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Post #: 3
A movie of two halfs - 16/5/2006 3:09:04 PM   
dunner05

 

Posts: 119
Joined: 2/5/2006
Twenty minutes in and I was ready to switch it off. Burstyn is amazing and the last half hour a shocking visual assault, but we do have to sit through a tired 'junkies love-story' before Aronofsky finally delivers the goods. Five stars for the nightmare denoument, five stars for Burstyn, but 1 star for everything else.

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Post #: 4
A stunning piece of work - 27/5/2006 3:10:20 PM   
Hamish


Posts: 178
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Lincs
 This is the best film I have seen in a long, long time. Absolutely harrowing in it's flashy, rhythmic visual style. At first this looks to be style over substance but you will appreciate why it id done in this way as soon as the stunning final descent into hell montage begins. The music is flawless, Burstyn's work is creepy and compelling, even when she posts the letter early on in the film the shooting style and performance contribute towards a truly unsetlling atmosphere. The injection of the infected arm is absolutely one of the most horrific scenes I have ever witnessed. As the four characters curl up into the fetal position I had a tear in my eye. This is an astounding experience, the very best film about addiction I have ever seen.

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Post #: 5
Empire, you so dumb. - 13/6/2006 6:01:25 AM   
JasonC19

 

Posts: 10
Joined: 24/11/2005
From: Perth, W.A
 Harrowing? Gruelling? There is nothing as raw and brain shred-ingly good as Requiem; it makes 'real' nouvelle vague horror films like Saw, Hostel and Wolf Creek seem like baby bitches in comparison. The final ten minutes of the film rock you harder than anything ever commited to celluloid and if, like William Thomas, you feel the need to laugh at any point, then you just don't get it man. RfaD is more than a 5 Star film, its a genuine experience.

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Post #: 6
Spot On - 28/6/2006 3:00:04 PM   
awoken

 

Posts: 1
Joined: 1/11/2005
The most overly appreciated movie of all time. The story is completely useless and lacking any kind of reality, if you think this is harsh then you have no idea of the actual expreiences these throw away characters would have been involved in. A vanity project for the director, nothing else. Shame on Jennifer Conolly for taking this role, nothing would attract you to play that character bar the smell of awards.

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Post #: 7
Sad real sad - 3/7/2006 8:32:10 PM   
OMGWTFBBQ

 

Posts: 69
Joined: 4/6/2006
Whoa this was a nasty piece of cinema. I mean im not to sure that it is very close to real drug taking and its consqeunces seeing as the book it was based on was written in the 70s, but what i can say is its harsh and can put most people off taking heroin. The last scene which is shown in a montage will chill you to the bone i cant stop thinking about it. Stylishly shot and well acted..maybe i should have watched this when i was older. Overall good.

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Post #: 8
- 22/9/2006 5:45:22 PM   
jonnyuk

 

Posts: 7
Joined: 27/1/2006
Brilliant, way better than 3 Stars. I found it incredibly emotional and affecting, with the acting (paricularly from Burstyn) brilliant. Any film that can make me feel that distressed when its over deserves 5 stars...

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Post #: 9
Earth Shattering - 11/10/2006 6:34:09 PM   
tentummytalismen

 

Posts: 6
Joined: 20/9/2006
This is possibly the bleak, most depressing & most disturbing movies I have ever seen. This movie should be requiered view for drug prevention programs all over the world. With question, a modern masterpiece.

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Post #: 10
Pretty distressing stuff - 19/11/2006 6:13:19 PM   
Those_wedontspeak_of


Posts: 46
Joined: 10/10/2005
I found it pretty hilarious in some parts (but in a good way), ie the food sqirling around ellen bursyns head + the killer fridge:D, but yeah the last half hour was totally relentless in its miserable depiction of hell,basically.good, scary soundtrack too!!

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Post #: 11
- 30/1/2007 2:29:14 AM   
stargirl

 

Posts: 191
Joined: 1/10/2005
From: Scotland
 WHAT ???!!! 3 stars??!!!
empire what are you on.
this film was distressing, disturbing and the movie equivalent of being kept awake for 48 hours then being slapped hard across the face. repeatedly.
but it also had of moments of genius and beauty, with incredible performances especially from burstyn and connelly.
hmm i would probably give it 4 and half stars. there are some flaws and i'm not sure if it would sustain repeat watching (then again its so powerful, i dont know if i will want to watch it for a long time to come).

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Post #: 12
Disturbingly realistic and heart-breaking... - 19/2/2007 9:59:57 PM   
Steviebow

 

Posts: 12
Joined: 16/2/2006
After hearing about Requiem so much I just had to go and rent it out. After watching the film it became my new favourite. The characters are all so real and their stories so distressing that I was left feeling disturbed and saddened, but that's how a real movie should make you feel. Ellen Burstyn as Sara Goldfarb was one of the best performances in cinema history. Her character probably had the most tragic tale as a woman so obssessed with becoming thin for a television show that she takes diet pills to the excess, ending in disaster. Some of the scenes involving the force feeding and electro-shock therapy were very disturbing and uncomfortable to watch, but they made the film more unique and real. Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly played an equally convincing, desperate couple, one ending up losing an arm, the other turning to prostitution. The desentegration of their realtionship as they focus more and more on drugs is truly moving and heart-breaking.
I found the whole film to be very realistic and scenes executed with great distinction and power. Ellen Burstyn really stood out though and truly deserved the Oscar, for surely her performance was the defining point of her career. I give this masterpiece 5 stars for its reality and originality, well done Mr. Aronofsky!

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Post #: 13
- 12/7/2007 11:25:42 PM   
jonnypatterson

 

Posts: 15
Joined: 20/10/2005
From: Northern Ireland
 This is a fantastic movie & Im going to give it 5 stars as I think its a disgrace Empire rated it as a 3... Its so rare to see a film like this that really challenges the viewer, truly distressing scenes at times presented in a gripping manner. Oh, and that soundtrack...!

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Post #: 14
Excellent - 6/8/2007 9:05:42 PM   
Piles


Posts: 5531
Joined: 6/8/2007
From: Whalley Range
 Four people bound by one common goal; to get that next fix.

Regardless of how their lust for drugs originated, all four of them quickly descend into manic depression, anger or crime. For one, Harry, it costs him his arm. The least dependant of the four gets what some would call ‘bad luck’, and what starts out as a small, barely noticeable blemish on his arm quickly turns into a horrific bruised gash taking up a good percent of his lower forearm. But, showing Harry’s true dependency on the drugs, he does not hold up on his pursuit of what he believes to be happiness; that next fix.

A second, Marion, is a girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her parents give her the start she needs in life, but she blows it all away as she reaches this year in her life. It isn’t given whether Marion’s addiction started with Harry as a chief cause, but it is often suggested. The girl, becoming ever more dependant on drugs as we watch the film go by, finally turns away from Harry when he can no longer supply what she wants. Eventually, she turns to more dangerous methods to get the drugs; selling her body in pursuit of what she needs; that next fix.

The third, Tyrone, Harry’s best friend; clearly the most under-developed (if that is the right word) of the four major characters. Some would argue that his addiction stemmed from the need of ‘respect’, others that he just wants to get by, but no real cause for his addiction is explored. However, just because an addiction’s origins are murky, does not mean that the ending is any different. Eventually, Tyrone is stripped of what he needs, and the results are no less devastating, even if they are more subtle. Tyrone is left in jail, a quivering wreck, looking back on a simpler time when he lay in his Mother’s arms. And all because he wanted to get what believed would bring him happiness; that next fix.

And this simpler life is metaphorically portrayed by a forth wom

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Post #: 15
Excellent - 6/8/2007 9:05:43 PM   
Piles


Posts: 5531
Joined: 6/8/2007
From: Whalley Range
 Four people bound by one common goal; to get that next fix.

Regardless of how their lust for drugs originated, all four of them quickly descend into manic depression, anger or crime. For one, Harry, it costs him his arm. The least dependant of the four gets what some would call ‘bad luck’, and what starts out as a small, barely noticeable blemish on his arm quickly turns into a horrific bruised gash taking up a good percent of his lower forearm. But, showing Harry’s true dependency on the drugs, he does not hold up on his pursuit of what he believes to be happiness; that next fix.

A second, Marion, is a girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her parents give her the start she needs in life, but she blows it all away as she reaches this year in her life. It isn’t given whether Marion’s addiction started with Harry as a chief cause, but it is often suggested. The girl, becoming ever more dependant on drugs as we watch the film go by, finally turns away from Harry when he can no longer supply what she wants. Eventually, she turns to more dangerous methods to get the drugs; selling her body in pursuit of what she needs; that next fix.

The third, Tyrone, Harry’s best friend; clearly the most under-developed (if that is the right word) of the four major characters. Some would argue that his addiction stemmed from the need of ‘respect’, others that he just wants to get by, but no real cause for his addiction is explored. However, just because an addiction’s origins are murky, does not mean that the ending is any different. Eventually, Tyrone is stripped of what he needs, and the results are no less devastating, even if they are more subtle. Tyrone is left in jail, a quivering wreck, looking back on a simpler time when he lay in his Mother’s arms. And all because he wanted to get what believed would bring him happiness; that next fix.

And this simpler life is metaphorically portrayed by a forth wom

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Post #: 16
- 5/10/2007 1:07:25 PM  1 votes
Hol5x

 

Posts: 23
Joined: 21/12/2006
I honestly believe it deserves 5 stars. It's a film that has haunted me, as Darren Aranofsky so often manages. Empire doesn't often get it wrong, but I believe this is one of the few times it does.

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Post #: 17
One time view - 5/2/2008 2:07:44 PM   
bryancarr

 

Posts: 22
Joined: 4/2/2008
From: Mountmellick
 I do agree with how brilliant this film is but it succeds in disturbing me as the director intended. I will only watch this film once!

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Post #: 18
- 2/11/2008 11:35:33 AM   
willchadwick

 

Posts: 310
Joined: 13/3/2007
I'm unlikely to see a film again that has made me so depressed but hey. The film isn't a masterpiece and there are things wrong with the film, the script isn't as polished as it needs to be and the roles of some of the minor characters like could have been filled with better actors but this remains an impressive work. The performance by Ellen Burstyn is gripping and heart breaking some of the best screen acting I have ever seen also it is likely that it will put you off drugs for life and it is suitably disturbing and depressing. But in that mood of depression there is drawback I won't want to watch it again for a very long time.

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Post #: 19
RE: - 14/11/2008 12:02:11 PM   
scarter2000

 

Posts: 5
Joined: 10/2/2006
From: Braunton
 I totally agree =]

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Post #: 20
RE: RE: - 14/11/2008 2:53:21 PM   
BigKovacs


Posts: 3143
Joined: 6/4/2006
From: Textile Street.
 One of the few anti-drugs films that actually succeeds in making them not look cool.

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Post #: 21
RE: Spot On - 16/11/2008 10:47:19 AM   
fernetcontonica


Posts: 8183
Joined: 29/4/2007
From: Everywhere
quote:

ORIGINAL: awoken

The most overly appreciated movie of all time. The story is completely useless and lacking any kind of reality, if you think this is harsh then you have no idea of the actual expreiences these throw away characters would have been involved in. A vanity project for the director, nothing else. Shame on Jennifer Conolly for taking this role, nothing would attract you to play that character bar the smell of awards.



The story isn't really important, but at the same time is awesomely simple, I goes downwards and the amazing montage works towards getting your mood downwards with it. I love it, but I guess the story matters really little.

quote:

ORIGINAL: jonnyuk

Brilliant, way better than 3 Stars. I found it incredibly emotional and affecting, with the acting (paricularly from Burstyn) brilliant. Any film that can make me feel that distressed when its over deserves 5 stars...


Indeed, a film that can do that cannot be possibly bad.




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Post #: 22
One of my favourites - 17/3/2010 1:31:34 AM   
monkeyhumour

 

Posts: 254
Joined: 12/2/2006
A haunting journey (I've only seen the directors cut) that makes me shake in my seat every frickin time!!

The Performances are mind-blowing. Especially Ellen Burstyn :)

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Post #: 23
- 18/3/2010 1:14:07 PM   
davelogan

 

Posts: 31
Joined: 20/7/2008
This film has it all. Great montage. Great subjective shots. Brilliant character relationships. This is how films should be made. At present the definitive drug movie.

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Post #: 24
Bleak and Grimly Ironic - 10/11/2010 11:37:21 PM   
blaud


Posts: 722
Joined: 13/12/2007
A junkie's worst nightmare recreated in vivid colour. Please do not watch if you value your high mood of the night, for it is guaranteed not to last.

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Post #: 25
Pretty good...but overated - 21/2/2011 8:01:05 PM   
SonnyDaze

 

Posts: 34
Joined: 16/6/2008
From: Southampton
 Very unsettling indeed. Some excellent performances and many interesting directorial quirks but I can't help feeling that the message was rather hammered home (relentless use of apocolyptic classical piece). Sometimes subtlety can be more powerful.

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Post #: 26
A Masterpiece - 17/8/2011 3:44:04 PM   
guysalisbury

 

Posts: 168
Joined: 3/11/2005
There is never a good time to watch this film, but when you do, you'll be blown away!

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Post #: 27
Requiem for a dream - 14/10/2011 6:36:54 PM   
lynchmnt

 

Posts: 1
Joined: 14/10/2011
watch this film last night and I must say i really enjoyed it, life of drugs between four people. I must say the ending is very disturbing and will keep you thinking for days!

requiem means ( A Mass for the repose of the souls of the dead)
5 Stars all the way!!!!

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Post #: 28
RE: Requiem for a dream - 25/2/2013 3:46:56 PM   
rogerebert

 

Posts: 9
Joined: 14/12/2012
A few years ago i borrowed this and watched it in a double bill with Oldboy. Ruined my weekend.

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Post #: 29
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