Time Travel Has Never Made Such Little Sense

Thanks to the wonder that is Netflix, I finally got around to seeing the director's cut of Donnie Darko today. I haven't seen the original theatrical cut, but if it's anything like the director's cut, then it's one trippy movie. Ever see one of those movies where you know you're watching a good movie, despite having no clue what was happening at any given time? That's what Donnie Darko was to me. It's kinda hard to follow the first (and even second) time through, but things all start to make a modicum of sense after repeated viewings. But don't get me wrong, it's a very well-directed, well-acted movie.

Jake Gyllenhaal is awesome, and if there's any reason to watch Donnie Darko at all, it's for his performance. My only real complaint with the cast is that neither Drew Barrymore nor her character really seem like they belong in the movie. I'm not going to imply that she stuck herself in the movie with her power as executive producer (she totally didn't do that with the Charlie's Angels movies, either), but the character doesn't really contribute much of anything, outside of giving director Richard Kelly a reason to stick clips of Watership Down in the movie. But in any regard, Donnie Darko is one of those movies that you'll probably like if you enjoy movies that mess with your head. And because it still managed to be entertaining in spite of being totally confusing, I'll give it four stars. It's not a bad movie at all, it's just... well... different.