Donnie Drek-O.

Let me say this about Donnie Darko: I'm pretty sure that everyone making the film had great intentions, as the film seems to have been made with a certain zeal only attainable after seven shots of Tequila and a midnight showing of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2 and the Jimmy Stewart classic, Harvey, followed by a 5 am brainstorm to make a film to live up to those ideals. Then he failed. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Donald Darko lives in a schizophrenia-drug induced haze inconcistently throughout the film, during periods where the wasted Jake Gyllenhal stares meaningfully into a mirror during the presidential election of 1988. When he isn't doing that, he is showcasing lame-ass dialogue with his sister (played by Jake's real sister Maggie), shouting stiff dialogue at his parents (or the nauseatingly contrived character of a motivational speaker-turned kiddie-porn entrepeneur) or snogging his girlfriend (above). The direction is hectic and uncertain, which is more than I can say for the story itself, which is groaning under the pressure of being different and avant garde. One of my main problems with the film would have to be the political diatribes (Bush vs. Dukakis... yawn), but on top of that would have to be random, snake-like air distortions, which are supposed to mean... something. Even more random is Noah Wile's cameo. The characters were inconsitent at best, boring at worst in this inexplicably beloved cult film. Oh yeah, and dont expect to understand the giant alien or Jake's off violent sprees: just nod and play along. That's what they want you to do.Donnie Darko falls flat on all counts, which is exactly what I almost did half-way through the film: fall, face down, asleep.
My grade: D.