Requiem for a Dream

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So I guess after Fight Club I wanted to watch a feel good movie, right? Not quite. This movie is depressing. It opens your eyes to the world of addiction that you never realized. I don't do drugs nor have I ever considered it (no, I'm not just saying that!), so to me addiction is something that I "know" about because of health class in high school. This movie really makes it seem real and possible. It follows 4 junkies whose lives seemed so promising and then crumbled under a crippling addiction. It really emphasizes the point that drugs do ruin lives, regardless of how good you feel when you start. 

Harry (Jared Leto), opens the film in a fight with his mother, Sara (Ellen Burstyn) where he steals here television, her escape from reality, to sell for drug money. He meets up with Tyron (Marlon Wayans) and they buy some heroin, but also lay out a plan to sell drugs, score a pound of pure and then live on easy street for the rest of their lives. Next comes Marion (Jennifer Connelly), Harry's girlfriend, an aspiring fashion designer. These three at first have it all, drugs, money and a limitless future, but addiction kicks in. Going along with this is Sara, whose only bright spot in life is television. She's a widow, her son is a junkie who left her and she is ignored by the other women in her building. She receives a call about being on a TV show and her life changes. She becomes the center of attention and also obsesses over a diet so that she can wear her red dress. Her diet pills are really just "uppers" and she becomes addicted. With addiction kicking in, all four of their lives turn to shit. Marion and Harry's relationship falls apart. Harry and Tyron get arrested. Sara becomes paranoid that the refrigerator is out to get her. As the addiction strengthens, their dreams weaken. They become slaves to the drugs that inspired them. Their strength becomes their weakness and their lives are ruined. 

All actors preform wonderfully in this film. The chemistry of the characters feels real and you can feel the tension grow along with the addiction. Burstyn's role sticks out particularly. All she wants in life is some one to love her and give her attention and the one thing that allows for this to happen ends up ruining her. It's depressing and shameful to see these characters change throughout the film. You want them to turn their lives around. You can truly get a sense that addicts aren't always bad people or even at fault, but that they can be victims. It's a great film and I highly recommend it, although I'm not sure if I would watch it again anytime soon. Overall 3 out of 4, as although it is very well done and makes you think, it isn't the most entertaining film I've ever seen.