Suburban apocalyptic mayhem in Darko

It's been awhile since I've felt truly afraid at a movie theater. I think the last time must have been at the midnight screening of Blair Witch Project in the summer of '99. I emerged from the theater, thoroughly shaken, only to find that the entire lobby of the theater suddenly mysteriously decorated with traces of "spells" like those featured in the film. My companion and I were so scared that we had to walk around the grocery store for an hour before we could bring ourselves to go home.

Well, I was certainly frightened this weekend after seeing Donnie Darko at the Cineplex Odeon Inner Circle Theater at 23rd and M Streets in Washington, D.C. The film, though marketed as art-house fare, really amounts more to an intelligent horror movie, one that has appeal for a wider audience without selling out to the monotony of mainstream cinema. The plot centers around the title character, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), an adolescent boy whose average suburban life is countered by his affliction with some type of serious mental disorder. Toward the beginning of the movie, Donnie is visited by an "imaginary" - or is it? - creature wearing a demonic rabbit costume, named "Frank" (James Duval). Frank calls Donnie out of his house in the middle of the night and tells him that the world is going to end on October 30. Soon afterwards, a broken part of an airplane crashes into Donnie's bedroom, the first of a chain of bizarre and terrifying events to come.

As the film progresses, Frank's visits become more frequent, and he orders Donnie to commit various violent actions. Through his communication with Frank, as well as number of coinciding events, including Donnie's contact with a strange old woman nicknamed "Grandma Death" (Patience Cleveland), Donnie discovers that there may be a time warp in the universe, connected with the approaching apocalypse. There are a number of subplots, which somewhat dichotomize the characters into those who are on Donnie's side and those who are working against him. Donnie's allies include his romantic interest, the new girl at school (Jena Malone) who relates to Donnie's feelings of being an outsider, Donnie's loving mother (Mary McDonnell) who finds herself at a loss to help her son, and an outspoken teacher at Donnie's school (Drew Barrymore), who is both intrigued and disturbed by Donnie's brilliance. Donnie's enemies, on the other hand, range from a couple of vicious bullies at school, to a Jesus-freak gym teacher (Beth Grant), to a local self-help author (Patrick Swayze) with more self-serving intentions.

The film centers on the countdown of the days until the supposed ending of the world, as Donnie struggles to crack the possibility of time travel, at the same time confronted with the conflict between God and science. On one level, Donnie Darko is a hilarious portrayal of a disturbed boy dealing with typically adolescent issues. The movie is set in the 80s and, in addition to some good, cliched 80s music and style, gives a wonderful social parody of middle America during that era, particularly through the members of Donnie's family. There were moments when the audience was just rolling in the aisles. On a deeper level, Donnie Darko is a work of psychological intensity that explores the implications of mental illness. It gradually pull the audience into the uneasy realm of metaphysical mystery. There is also an aspect of pure horror; there is one particular scene in which Frank comes to Donnie in a darkened movie theater that had me glancing around myself - just to make sure.

Overall, Donnie Darko is a brilliant effort from first time director and script writer Richard Kelly, who only graduated from the University of Southern California in 1997. The plot is tightly executed, keeping the audience on edge for nearly two hours, replete with interesting characters whose dialogue and action are all developed, for the most part, as much as necessary and integral to the film's framework. I do wish that Drew Barrymore's portrayal of English professor Karen Pomeroy had been given a bigger part; unfortunately, her role is nearly relegated to cameo size - Barrymore actually produced the film, which may somewhat account for her sideline role. Otherwise, Jake Gyllenhaal (Bubble Boy, October Sky) plays Donnie the bumbling adolescent endearingly, sliding just as easily and convincingly into the role of Donnie as a disturbed genius, and all of the supporting characters create a solid framework for the terrible events surrounding Donnie through their individual roles.

On a technical note, the special effects are tastefully done and the camera work is fresh and eye-catching without being overly complex (much of it actually evoked something of American Beauty). Donnie Darko is a thoroughly enjoyable film, thought-provoking yet entertaining at the same time.

In the case that the film doesn't end up visiting Baltimore, I would recommend catching a ride to D.C. - make an afternoon or a night of it and see Donnie Darko, but bring along an extra hand to grab onto, and don't let those voices convince you to do anything you wouldn't want to do..