Requiem For A Dream (2000). Cert 18. Director - Darren Aronofsky Writer - Hubert Selby Jr & Darren Aronofsky Starring - Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly & Marlon Wayans.

Premise - The story of four Coney Island residents as their desire to chase the dream leads down the path of drug addiction. Before I start I should say that Requiem For A Dream is one of the nastiest films I have ever seen. Taking the basic theme of 'drugs are bad and if you take them bad things will happen to you', Aronofsky has crafted a masterful piece of modern cinema that is by the same token as beautiful as it is shocking. All four main characters have a dream, a dream they all try to realise through drugs. The film is split into 2 parallel running stories. In one story Harry (Jared Leto), Marion (Jennifer Connelly) &Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) want to get rich so they plan to buy a large quantity of Heroin, cut it and make it big. In the other story Sara (Ellen Burstyn) gets the chance to be on a TV show (her original addiction), in order to fit into the dress she wants to wear she must lose wieght. So she starts on the diet pills. The quality of the acting in Requiem is beyond reproach. All four main actor do stering work. Leto is believable and Connelly is one of the most talented young actresses on the go right now. And Marlon Wayans, well who new? Top of the pile as far as performances go however is Ellen Burstyn. She is simply mesmeric as Sara Goldfarb. One of the best performaces I have seen by a leading female ever. It is a crime to the proffesion of acting that she was beat by Julia Roberts for the Oscar last year. Aronofsky has grown as a filmaker since Pi. Technically Requiem is one hell of an achievment. Every trick in the cinematographers handbook is used and some new ones invented for good measure. Camera's strapped to the actors, speeded up film, split screen and more are all used to great effect. For all the bells and whistles though, Aronofsky can also do subtle. Witness the scene when Harry tells his mother he's bought her a new television. Classic direction, just sit back, let the camera roll and give the actors room to work. The film gathers pace as it moves on. Like a ball rolling down a hill getting faster and faster untill Aronofsky hits you with one mother of an ending. The final barrage of images left me dazed as I was continually hit with one harrowing image after another. Definatly not a film for the weak stomached out there. I'm also thankfull that the BBFC saw fit to pass this wonderful film uncut with an 18 certificate. Truely a modern classic and one not to be missed.

9/10 for Requiem For A Dream. Poster Quote - Requiem for Brilliance.