“Donnie Darko” (2003) and “Inside Job” (2010)
Can you tell I’m not managing my library dvd queue well? That’s how the I’ve-never-seen-this-cult-classic Donnie Darko and Inside Job, the recent documentary on the banking collapse came in at the same time. (Along with two others, and then two others. Why do they all come in at once? I don’t think I reserved them all at once, but maybe I did. Sigh.)
Donnie Darko is the teen-angst movie of the early 00’s, reminding me strongly of Heathers. I could see falling madly in love with this film if I were younger and more disaffected. As it was, I liked Jake Gyllenhaal’s weird guy with hallucinations of a creepy guy dressed as a bunny named Frank.
I was not disaffected, that is, until after I watched Inside Job. My husband G. Grod declined to watch it, saying he knew it would anger and depress him. “But it’s supposed to be so good!” I protested, pointing out the gazillion encomiums on the cover, all from reputable sources, not dodgy ones. Matt Damon narrates this explanation of the collapse of the housing bubble and banking industry in 2008. As far as I can tell, everyone is evil, and what are viewers supposed to think if Elliott Spitzer and Dominique Strauss-Kahn are on the side of ethics? I guess this is why Dante imagined levels of hell. Faugh. Made me sick to my stomach.
While I watched it, G. went out with a friend to see Green Lantern at the cheap theater with the really good popcorn topped with real butter. He didn’t think the movie was much good, but enjoyed the popcorn, hanging out with his friend and some of the movie. Draw your own conclusion.
August 15th, 2011 at 9:29 pm
I just saw Donnie Darko a few years ago myself. I pretty much hated it and remain completely mystified to its cult following.
August 16th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
C, my friend Michael had the same reaction. I neither hated nor loved it, but feel like if I’d seen it as a younger, more-feeling-put-upon person, I would have embraced it fiercely as I remember doing with Heathers.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
well, I STILL 100% love Heathers. So…
August 24th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
I am not young and only somewhat disaffected, but I really liked Donnie Darko. There was just something about it that moved me. It may have been the combination of my mood and the circumstances when I watched it, but I’ve watched it several more times and still like it a lot. I feel hopeful at the end, even though it is not a “happy” ending for everyone.
On the other hand, I wasn’t that impressed with Heathers, and I’ve never watched it since the first time.
I was curious about Inside Job, but you may have convinced me that I’ll just end up depressed if I watch it. I will have to find something else to watch that wouldn’t make me want to jump in a river. Maybe a few episodes of The Wire.
August 24th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
I gotta say, I can’t recommend Inside Job the documentary, because I felt at the end as if there was simply nothing to be done about the whole awful situation. Now, Inside Job the Spike Lee movie? That was pretty good, and got under appreciated at the box office.