Review by David Paul Hellings
@HellingsOnFilm
“One of the most talked-about films of the last twenty years, “Donnie Darko” is the film that started a million late-night conversations as well as setting Jake Gyllenhaal on the road to Hollywood stardom. This stunning 4K restoration from Arrow Video, supervised and approved by director Richard Kelly and cinematographer Steven Poster, gives the film the release it deserves, allowing you to see it like never before.
Synopsis:
I WANT YOU TO WATCH THE MOVIE SCREEN. THERE’S SOMETHING I WANT TO SHOW YOU.
Fifteen years before Stranger Things combined science-fiction, Spielbergian touches and 80s nostalgia to much acclaim, Richard Kelly set the template – and the high-water mark – with his debut feature, “Donnie Darko”. Initially beset with distribution problems, it would slowly find its audience and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium.
Donnie is a troubled high school student: in therapy, prone to sleepwalking and in possession of an imaginary friend, a six-foot rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world is going to end in 28 days 06 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds. During that time he will navigate teenage life, narrowly avoid death in the form of a falling jet engine, follow Frank’s maladjusted instructions, and try to maintain the space-time continuum.
Described by its director as “The Catcher in the Rye as told by Philip K. Dick”, Donnie Darko combines an eye- catching, eclectic cast – pre-stardom Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, heartthrob Patrick Swayze, former child star Drew Barrymore, Oscar nominees Mary McDonnell and Katherine Ross, and television favourite Noah Wyle – and an evocative soundtrack of 80s classics by Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears and Duran Duran”.
-via Fetch Publicity
Review:
“Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!”
If it’s been a while since you’ve watched “Donnie Darko”, it’s now the perfect time to reacquaint yourselves with Richard Kelly’s beautifully sad tale of growing pains, conservative neighbourhoods, and time travel; a film that has retained its freshness and seen its leads move on to become A-list actors.
Returning to “Donnie Darko” (here in a stunning 4K restoration) for the first time in ages, the sense of relevance is stronger than ever. That this was director Kelly’s name making debut makes it all the stranger that it was seemingly the beginning and end in terms of what came after in career terms. With a superb ensemble cast and a sense of suburbia that rings true today, it’s a simply excellent take on the world of suburban pettiness, nosy neighbours, the politics of high school, and the perils of teen life.
Kelly gets the very best out of a first rate cast. The major surprise on release was that Patrick Swayze would appear as the sleazy motivational speaker Jim Cunningham; a role that showed what an excellent and underrated actor Swayze was.
Jake Gyllenhaal presents a character both troubled and sympathetic, fate choosing a tragic life path that’s been raided more and more as a plot line these days (“The Flashpoint Paradox” taking it to the max); but in Kelly’s film it’s a bittersweet world of young love, incommunicative familes, unfulfilled promise and potential, and rocks that get lifted to reveal conservative hypocrisy.
“Donnie Darko” is also one of those rare cinema outings that allows for strong female characters and a magical cast of female actors (or actresses as they used to be known) in Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Katharine Ross, Beth Grant, and Mary McDonnell. It’s hard to think of a film since that’s successfully had an ensemble of superb, convincingly written female characters.
“Donnie Darko” remains a film that defies classification; an ode to lost time and possibilities; a beautiful take on the fragility of existence; a simple yet extraordinary tale of moments, good, bad, and curious. And a talking man rabbit.
The new 4K restoration really does look stunning. Crisp, clean and natural. The original 5.1 audio is joyous. This is a first rate release with a wealth of extras
SPECIAL FEATURES:
4-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
Brand new 4K restorations of both the Theatrical Cut and the Director’s Cut from the original camera negatives produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release, supervised and approved by director Richard Kelly and cinematographer Steven Poster.
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations of both cuts.
Original 5.1 audio (DTS-HD on the Blu-ray).
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Audio commentary by writer-director Richard Kelly and actor Jake Gyllenhaal on the Theatrical Cut.
Audio commentary by Kelly, producer Sean McKittrick and actors Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, Beth Grant, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Katharine Ross and James Duval on the Theatrical Cut.
Audio commentary by Kelly and filmmaker Kevin Smith on the Director’s Cut.
Brand-new interviews with Richard Kelly and others.
The Goodbye Place, Kelly’s 1996 short film, which anticipates some of the themes and ideas of his feature films.
The Donnie Darko Production Diary, an archival documentary charting the film’s production with optional commentary by cinematographer Steven Poster.
Twenty deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary by Kelly.
Archive interviews with Kelly, actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, James Duval, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Holmes Osborne, Noah Wyle and Katharine Ross, producers Sean McKittrick, Nancy Juvonen, Hunt, Lowry and Casey La Scala, and cinematographer Steven Poster.
Three archive featurettes: They Made Me Do It, They Made Me Do It Too and #1 Fan: A Darkomentary.
Storyboard comparisons.
B-roll footage.
Cunning Visions infomercials.
Music video: Mad World by Gary Jules.
Galleries.
Trailers.
TV spots.
Exclusive collector’s book containing new writing by Nathan Rabin, Anton Bitel and Jamie Graham, an in-depth interview with Richard Kelly, introduction by Jake Gyllenhaal and contemporary coverage, illustrated with original stills and promotional materials.
Limited edition packaging featuring new artwork by Candice Tripp.
DETAILS:
Region: B/2
Rating: 15
Duration: 113 and 133 mins
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: DTS-HD 5.1
Colour
Discs: 4
UK Cat No: FCD1400
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