HARVEY meets CATCHER IN THE RYE in this self-indulgently bathetic cult fave that caught on big in its post-theatrical life. Jake Gyllenhaal looks solid & fleshly as the possibly schizophrenic, possibly dead, teen landmine Donnie, while all the adults, those who understand and those who don’t, mishandle the usual hormonal angst. If FIGHT CLUB was homoerotic metaphysics for onanistic underachievers, this is the straight sophomoric edition. Trying to fashion a sort of Tim Burton version of REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, director Richard Kelly flails away, choosing odd takes with lots of wistful smiles from all. And surely a proper director’s cut would have shortened, not lengthened the path to his "gotcha" ending.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Good Grief! How many film & literary references can you fit into such a small space! Shame, MAKSQUIBS, shame! (Nice use of 'onanistic,' though. Assuming, it's even a word.)
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT/LINK: For a more grown up, fully realized take on the ideas being tossed about here, check out FISTS IN THE POCKET/'65. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/05/fists-in-pocket-1965.html
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