Director's Order - Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky is an incredible director who gained wide fame by directing a series of psychological thrillers and dramas. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest directors of the century. He was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars the previous year for his work in Black Swan; which is also his biggest box office success. Here's how I rank his films.

5. The Fountain - ★★☆ (2.5/4 - NEUTRAL)
The Fountain isn't a great movie. It's a decent movie with an incredible amount of potential to be a great movie. It's an unrealized vision; and it can be blamed on the halving of the film's budget. In terms of ambition however, this is as ambitious as a movie can get. It's admirable how Darren Aronofsky infused every single amount of passion that he had into this story; a story that somehow lost some meaning when presented on the screen. It's strength lies thematically; even with the problematic plot, we still understand the emotions that appear on the screen.

4. Pi - ★★★ (3/4)
Pi is a film that is paranoid; to ridiculous lengths. It thrills, surely, but it thrills using mathematics. It's a rare type of movie; one that attempts to get inside the viewer's head with themes that the average viewer wouldn't care for. It takes us deeply into the main character's struggle to cope with his ideas; ideas that lead to his own physical (and psychological) demise. It's a movie that deals with self-destruction, a theme that would be explored in Aronofsky's later films. For a debut, this film is pretty good and worth watching. It's the least watched of this list.

3. Black Swan - ★★★☆ (3.5/4)
Black Swan was the one expected to be on top, and for good reason. Black Swan was a huge contender last awards season. The movie is a psychosexual thriller that deals with a ballet dancer; played skillfully by Natalie Portman. It involves a discovery to a dark side the main character Nina had previously not touched. It conceptualizes how the drive to do what you are passionate about can lead to strong changes in how we act. The movie is filmed gorgeously; the scenes are all breathtaking. It's a psychological experience worth watching twice. And for those who care, its sexual aspects are very... tasteful.

2. The Wrestler - ★★★★ (4/4)
It is, in all aspects, the resurrection of Mickey Rourke. The film features some great directing work from Aronofsky, and the script is written excellently, but it is Rourke's film through and through. He completely dominates it with his towering performance. Without disrespect to Sean Penn, this WAS the performance of 2008. The movie is affecting. It doesn't over-complicate the plot about a wrestler, who is past his prime, trying to find a way to hang on to his past. It's a movie that will induce some kind of emotional reaction, no matter who you are.

1. Requiem for a Dream - ★★★★ (4/4)
When browsing through directors early last year, I came across his particular film that I haven't watched yet. So I did. It is an amazing film; however, it is probably the most inappropriate film for a 14 year old (I was 14 at the time that I viewed it) imaginable. It is an extremely good film though. It is about drugs and the effects that it has on four individuals, all of whom have their own individual struggles. Past the drugs though, it's more of a movie about addiction and how we are caught into delusion by it. The characters eventually have to face their real struggles; those of which they themselves have produced by preferring to delve deeper into an illusion. It's a visceral experience that, in a twisted way, everyone can relate to.