Two years after its head scratching debut and Donnie Darko gets the director's cut. The extra twenty minutes or so doesn't exactly make a world of difference but this is still one of the most original, unpredictable and refreshing films you're likely to see this year. Set in 1988, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a young student who has 'emotional problems' and attends weekly meetings with his therapist. Perhaps due to his reluctance to take his anti-depressants, Donnie is prone to odd behaviour, and has a tendency to sleep walk. However, nothing can prepare him for the appearance of a grotesque six-foot bunny, who tells him that the world will end within a month. After waking up on a local golf course, Donnie returns home to his Wasp-ish family to discover that a jet engine has fallen from the sky, landing on the roof of his home. From here, the rabbit makes regular reappearances and asks Donnie to do some very strange things....
As it was, Richard Kelly's original vision was a perplexing yet startlingly unique one and his decision to release a director's cut to capitalise on the cult status the film is understandable. However, Kelly seems determined to explain some of the most fascinating aspects of the plot - exhibit A, all that time travel nonsense - and it verges on an over-eagerness to justify the re-release. When a film's as refreshingly original as Donnie Darko, an excuse shouldn't be required. See this marvellous film.
