REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
2000

December 12, 2000

Camera 3

Jennifer Connelly. Ellen Burstyn. Jared Leto. Marlon Wayans. Christopher MacDonald.

Story of Coney Island drug addicts.

Connelly, Leto, and Wayans are all users who begin the film young and attractive and end up young and permanently messed up. Connelly in particular goes from the goddess that she is, to a heroin slut. All three of the actors are fabulous, but the film belongs to Burstyn. She needs to drop a few pounds to fit into her favorite dress. I crash diet leads to diet pills which leads to hallucinations. Her breakdown is both exhilarating and heartbreaking. The directing is frenetic and quickly edited. Usually this is a distraction, but in this case, it showed that taking drugs can sometimes be fun. Great job all around.