Requiem for a Dream – Intense and Depressing

My friend suggested a couple of movies this week, first among them was ‘Requiem for a Dream‘ and she added a disclaimer, that it can be slightly depressing and to be prepared for it. And she said that this one is the least depressing of the list. I have to ask her what harm I did her that she is punishing me with these kind of movies :(.

I remember Darren Aronofsky from his other movie ‘Black Swan‘, which was no doubt a very good and intense movie, but it affected me so much that I had to see some three stupid junk movies to really come back to my normal state. This is one is no less intense. The story is about an old lady who gets the dream of winning a show, her son , his girlfriend and his friend who are drug addicts and who try to make a fortune by selling it too. How they all start to live in their own fantasy world after a point of time due to their addiction and when reality comes crashing in, it takes a huge toll on their lives and nothing is ever the same again. A very serious movie about addiction and because of the seriousness it sort of creates an hangover of depression (if that is possible). I think I am gonna go and take some simple love story and read (a few of them infact) to get myself back to normal happy state. No wonder Ellen Burstyn was nominated. She did an amazing job here. Actually in the initial stages where she is trying to lose weight, it was funny and yet I can’t help feel sorry for her. In fact, I went and got myself a piece of cake to eat while watching those, because I felt like I was on a diet. The place where she tells Harry that she is lonely and her dream of appearing in the show makes her expect the next day with a smile, I couldn’t help but feel an ache at a place we call the heart. It is scary, to be lonely, to not have any goals, to not have anyone around to just share something, anything… I know that better but to see that ,  it was too much.  It is really sad to see young people waste their lives on these kind of addictions.

The background music enhances the effect the movie creates right from the title. It was a mesmerizing piece. I think if we hear it separately also it has the ability to bring you down from a high. What else to say, I am gonna go and have myself a cup of chai and then search for a love story now.