Honestly, it really gets under my skin when some critic writes something like that—and why? Because for me, watching movies actually has a point, and that is—I LIKE THE MOVIE! Even if that movie might "objectively" (not that objectivity even exists, I guess) be nothing special, and even if everyone else is trashing it just to stroke their own egos and act like they're film experts. I don't care! If there’s something in that movie that I—actually like?! Something that pulled me in? Something that triggered an emotion in me! THAT is the whole purpose of cinema, THAT is what matters most! You shouldn't be out there dissecting a film into a million tiny pieces and analyzing every single part separately, because then you just kill the magic of the experience. It’s about that feeling you have left over after the credits roll! People are different, so tastes are obviously different too. For example, I love all sorts of genres. When I'm not in the mood for something "serious" and just want to relax and laugh, I'll watch some rom-com, no matter how cliché, formulaic, or stupid it is. If those clichés bother me too much, then I won't enjoy the movie, so it won't be memorable or anything, and that's that—move on. On the other hand, if I find myself checking the clock more than once an hour, it means something is wrong (because when I actually like a movie, I get totally sucked in, heart and soul). So yeah, I watch movies for myself and for my own enjoyment. Sure, it's nice to read a good review of a movie I loved, but it isn't decisive at all—in fact, it doesn't even matter! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😉 and if I like something for one reason or another, who cares if someone else doesn't?
I don't know why you're even getting worked up about this. There's a ton of mysticism baked in. Even Jake mentioned he doesn't really "get" his own movie—like, when people corner him on the street asking "what is Donnie Darko actually about?", he just shrugs and says, "I have no clue. What is it to YOU?" Richard has that same vibe, except he tries to play the sci-fi expert by explaining it through a book, but he just crammed in a massive amount of mystical nonsense and layers upon layers of subtext. You can treat the movie as one giant allegory, you can take it literally, or you can just keep digging forever 😁 Personally, I think reading all those crazy theories and hunting for symbolism is the best part. To me, the whole point of the film IS personal interpretation, and the only question remains:
Of course there are going to be unanswered questions. 😉 You can basically view the whole movie as an allegory—honestly, you could interpret absolutely EVERYTHING in a million different ways if you wanted to! 😉
This is just Richard's (the director) take on things, which means it's just ONE PERSPECTIVE. After all, he's the one who came up with those "imaginary pages" you're talking about 😉 and even brought them up in his audio commentary 😁
So you think Donnie doesn't have superpowers? He's practically overflowing with them! 😉 HE'S the one with the ability to bend time, like sending objects through space and time 😉
Just rewatch the movie and think about it—the axe getting stuck in that BRONZE STATUE (that's strength right there), then the water manipulation (remember when he finds that creep's wallet and all those garden sprinklers just... quit?), then the metal manipulation (literally sending that engine through a wormhole), etc., etc. He's the living receiver, which means he definitely HAS powers 😉
Take a closer look at this and draw some parallels 😉
Michelle Lewis95 said:If you look at it that way, there are basically ten core plots, and every single movie ever made is just some variation of them!
You nailed it 😉 I mean, seriously, there are a million of those crappy American teen rom-coms out there, and every single one follows the exact same formula. Guy meets girl, guy falls for girl, guy wins girl over, they have a huge blowout, then guy GETS GIRL! Or it’s the other way around. It's always the same. So the question is, what's even the point of making THOUSANDS of these movies if they're all identical? Aside from the money, obviously. 🤣
I haven't seen the third one, so I can't really weigh in on that, but as far as the first two go, I don't think they have anything in common. Sure, if you look at them "broadly," the plot is similar. It's some kind of time travel thing where people try to "save everyone," and that's about it. There aren't any other similarities. I mean, Donnie Darko is way more complex—it’s just loaded with symbolism, mysticism, hidden meanings, paradoxes, and all those crazy theories. Not to mention, Donnie's whole "mission" was basically saving the entire freaking world, whereas the guy in Butterfly Effect was just trying to save his girlfriend. Butterfly Effect is actually pretty straightforward; it doesn't go "that deep" since it's really just about saving the girl. But Donnie Darko touches on a million different themes and the whole movie is basically one big, massive detail! I'm not hating on the movie—I actually love it and the theme is awesome—but you just can't compare it to Donnie Darko because they aren't even alike. The only tiny similarity you mentioned in your post was the "broad" plot. And honestly, why wouldn't you make two different movies that seem similar on the surface but couldn't possibly be more different? 😉
Anthony Kim18 said:I mean, sure, women and gay men watched the movie, but who actually footed the bill for this, and who really benefits from pushing an agenda like that?
claims that plenty of them (read: people who actually liked the flick) appreciate the beauty of just sitting in silence. I guess that’s a relief, and honestly, it makes me feel pretty good personally. 😳
so, I don't know if you guys saw the part where Garrigan slips the poison into Amin's headache pills... basically, Garrigan wanted to make a run for it, but since a massive plane with over 200 hostages just landed in Africa and needed "taking care of," Amin dragged Nicholas along with him. Well, Amin's "bodyguard" realized those pills were sketchy and took them... then at the airport (while Nicholas was busy dealing with the hostages), he gave them to some young soldier to swallow. Nicholas saw this and couldn't let the kid get poisoned, so he rushed over and forced the kid to throw up. That’s how Nicholas got caught; they beat him to death, and Amin told him he knew about him and Kay (btw, I'm not sure if you saw that part, but Kay literally gets torn apart—like, her arms, legs, and head are ripped from her body, such a horrific scene when we see her!) and called it the "ultimate betrayal." And what do they do to traitors in his village? They hang them by their skin, and they keep going until all the "evil" is squeezed out (apparently "it can take three days for all the evil to come out"). They did the same to Nicholas—they pierced his skin on his chest and hung him up. It's a brutal scene 😢 but that good doctor (Amin's former personal physician) managed to free Nicholas while Amin was busy playing the "good president" for the hostages and giving statements, while his bodyguards were off playing cards and drinking (since they figured Nicholas "wasn't going anywhere"). The doctor patched him up, gave him a suit and everything... and almost all the hostages (except maybe the Muslims, I think) were released and headed for a flight to Paris. So Nicholas "blends in" with the hostages and boards the plane. The movie wraps up with the bodyguards killing the doctor (his last words being "my wife...") and telling Amin that the guy escaped; the plane takes off, and Amin and his crew watch it go. Then at the end, it says the plane landed in Paris... and that all the hostages were freed EXCEPT FOR ONE. And that Amin killed 300,000 people, that there were celebrations in the streets of Africa when he was overthrown, and that he died in exile in 2003, though nobody knows if he actually died the way he saw in his dream. While that text scrolls, we see actual movie footage of Amin...
Michelle Ward10 said:Which one? There were several... The one after they’ve been apart for a few years?
Honestly, nothing kills the mood faster for me than those "cinematic" movie kisses. You know the type—mouths locked, heads tilted back, that rhythmic head bobbing... Realistically? It’s just nonsense.
wearyhound10 said:The last time I actually watched something worth my time was Walk the Line—that Cash biopic... but all this other stuff everyone keeps hyping up as these "masterpieces" is just a total disaster, especially when it's airing on ABC
I mean, what does that even have to do with the topic?
I saw this ages ago... I think maybe at an indie theater in New York. I can barely remember the actual plot, but there are a few scenes burned into my brain, and I still vividly remember the whole "vibe" and how it made me feel after it ended 😍 and that's good enough for me 😁 but who knows, if I watched it again today, the experience would probably be totally different... doesn't even matter if it's better or worse, just—different 😉 that's just how it goes, I guess...
watched some clips of Dawson's Creek, then finally sat down and binged the whole thing yesterday... it was okay, I guess, but nothing really special. I thought I. Somerholder was definitely the best 😍
Like I mentioned before, the editing is actually pretty cool (the split screen 👍 and that whole reverse storytelling bit 😬)
When you just read about the plot, it sounds like some tiny little teen drama, but when you actually watch it... 😬 😈
Personally, I thought the movie was stunning 😍. The story is just so good, and I have to hand it to Sophia Myles—she absolutely crushed it. The visuals were gorgeous, and the soundtrack? Incredible. It’s honestly such a beautiful, tragic love story. Though, I did notice people are pretty split on James Franco playing Tristan (who, let's be real, is super hot in this—it's definitely the hair and those sad puppy dog eyes 😍). Some say he was totally wooden and lacked any chemistry with Isolde, while others argue that's the whole point since his character is supposed to be so "dark" and "tragic." I guess you'll just have to decide for yourself 😉