Brian Scott Mednick Reviews

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

"Requiem" Is a Heavyweight

[9/10 · 12 February 2001]

You will not so much as want to take a sip of wine after watching this mesmerizing film about the horrors of drug addiction. I was not a fan of director Darren Aronofsky's debut film "Pi," but with this movie he proves to be a filmmaker of unlimited vision and style. Four characters in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn are all driven to despair due to their drug abuse, the saddest being Ellen Burstyn as a nice Jewish widow who unwittingly becomes addicted to prescription diet pills that help her lose weight but drag her into a world of hallucinations and paranoia. Burstyn is superb. It is so refreshing to see such a great veteran like her in such a challenging leading role, one in which she goes through a hell worse than that in "The Exorcist."

But this is a director's film if there ever was one. Aronofsky knows how to tell a story in a way that is dazzling in its use of sound, editing, and cinematography. The score by the Kronos Quartet and Clint Mansell is the most striking movie music I have heard in a very long time.

"Requiem for a Dream" is not a movie for everyone. It is the essence of independent filmmaking, a daring, engrossing, artful film that stays with you long after you leave the theater. Hollywood bubblegum this ain't.

Dr. T & the Women (2000)

Dr. T Gets an A

[6 February 2001]

I can think of few directors who have turned out so many quality films in late career as Robert Altman has. "Dr. T and the Women" is Altman's latest, and in telling the story of a popular Dallas gynecologist and the females in his life, Altman has made one of his most enjoyable films yet. Richard Gere gives what has to be his best performance to date as Dr. Sullivan "Sully" Travis. Gere does not get enough credit for being a good actor, and with this performance he shows what enormous range he has. His Dr. T is so engaging and charming, that it is easy to see why he has the following he does. Gere's performance is the centerpiece of a quirky, funny, and hugely entertaining film, one of the best of 2000.

Traffic (2000)

"Traffic" Jams!!!

[2 February 2001]

All the hype is true -- "Traffic" is a dazzling film, one of the very best of 2000. Director Steven Soderbergh has created a big, ambitious movie that in its style and storytelling brings to mind such classics as "The Godfather," "GoodFellas," "Pulp Fiction," and "Boogie Nights." Three stories all related to the United States' futile war on drugs are intricately interwoven and allow a superb cast (as well as a number of real life politicos playing themselves) to shine, particularly Benecio Del Toro and Michael Douglas. Del Toro is getting all the Oscar buzz for the film -- and he is terrific -- but I was amazed by Douglas' understated, sympathetic drug czar. It is one of his finest performances and one of the many reasons to see this timely, smart, and genuinely thrilling film.