cannabisnews.com: A Movie For Druggies Of All Ages A Movie For Druggies Of All Ages Posted by FoM on November 03, 2000 at 09:31:38 PT By Gary Thompson, Daily News Movie Critic Source: Philadelphia Daily News "Requiem for a Dream," with its nightmare landscape of young folks on dope and seniors strung out on prescription diet pills, raises a timely question. Can you have a drug-free and free-drug America at the same time? If you were awake for the presidential debates, you know that both candidates want to fight a war on drugs at the same time they want to push them to the elderly. As omnipresent TV ads keep reminding us, Gov. Bush and Vice President Gore want to ensure that nothing stands between seniors and their pills. As the baby boomers move past 50 and toward the golden years, both candidates want the "pass the toochie" ethos of their generation codified as a federal guarantee. This will be a sure vote-getter as the acid flashback gives way to acid reflux, and drugs, once recreational, become indispensable. (Follow old Woodstock acts like Carlos Santana, and you can hear fans say, "Stay away from the brown Prilosec!")One gets the feeling that if drug fiends voted as assiduously as seniors, Gore would be opening up the Strategic Crack Reserves right now. Too bad Timothy Leary didn't live long enough to provide a slogan for prescription drug plans: Tune in. Turn on. Retire. In "Requiem for a Dream," this is the unwitting philosophy of Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), a lonely widow getting by on her husband's meager pension, occasional and terrifying visits from her heroin-addict son (Jared Leto) and pathetic dreams of appearing on a popular TV game show.Sara thinks her dream has come true when she's accepted as a potential contestant and prepares by trying to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite dress. After getting a diet-pill prescription from her family doctor, Sophie begins losing weight - and her mind. The signs of amphetamine addiction are recognized, ironically, by her junkie son, who pleads with her to quit. This is a darkly funny role reversal of earlier "Requiem" scenes. It's too late for Sara, and also for Leto's character, who (with pal Marlon Wayans) has dreams of dealing only enough dope to start a fashion boutique with his girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly).The aim of "Requiem" is to expose the horror of addiction (not just to drugs, but to TV, food, gambling, and so on) by dragging the viewer along as the characters make their irreversible slide into complete degradation.But the movie fails to make important, early emotional connections to its assortment of addicts. By the time the characters reach prison, or the brothel, or the hospital, or the asylum, their situations seem more clinical than personal. On the other hand, the movie is so slickly photographed, paced and edited, and its nocturnal urban landscapes so surreal, it's easy to see why writer/director Darren Aronofsky has been chosen to write and direct "Batman Beyond." Source: Philadelphia Daily News (PA)Author: Gary Thompson, Daily News Movie Critic Published: November 3, 2000Copyright: 2000 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.Website: http://www.phillynews.com/Contact: Dailynews.opinion phillynews.comForum: http://interactive.phillynews.com/talk-show/More Movies:Movies About Marijuana Are Sprouting Like Weedshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/6/thread6773.shtmlRoger Ebert Says Legalize Ithttp://cannabisnews.com/news/6/thread6231.shtmlGrass: A Ron Mann Filmhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/2/thread2845.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by GETBENT on February 24, 2001 at 00:16:40 PT GETBENT GET BENT MARSHALL, [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by get bent on February 24, 2001 at 00:15:49 PT get bent GET BENT, MARSHALL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by no comment on February 24, 2001 at 00:14:43 PT yeah its eminem here Yeah why are drugs on this planet, man!!! even tho i just hadda lift`a matress in my moms room and there`s am`a some dopeMarshall Mathers [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: