Rent Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Despite some stark imagery & moving performances, this is not the masterpiece it is said to be - Requiem for a Dream review by TB

When I heard about this film, it was spoken about in almost revered terms: a masterpiece as well as a true descent into hell. But watching it, the main thought I had was boredom. It took me a while to actually understand what was going on, getting my head around the huge number of cuts & narrative choices, then when I did start to get on board with it, my attention was frequently wandering. There is absolutely some profound imagery, as well as impactful performances from all the main cast, however this doesn't solve anywhere close to the number of issues this film has.

As it starts to be layered on too thickly, the ultimate example of "more is better" not actually being the case, we are subjected to seeing these characters's descent into hell up close & personal. Except they never are that profound, because I never related to any of them on anything more than a superficial level. As in, it was simply looking at desperate people in bad situations and thinking "Oh, that's horrible!" And combined with that was the feeling that the filmmakers were over my shoulder cackling & saying "Look how much we are torturing these people!"

I don't doubt for many this is a massively impactful film. But it's desperation to shock then becomes it's downfall.