Darren Aronofsky

mother! Review

mother! Review

RATING: (4 STARS) *NOTE: I believe this film is best enjoyed without knowing much at all going in. I avoided any heavy spoilers in this review, but still, if you haven’t seen mother!, proceed with caution. The insanity-by-obsession that defines every Darren Aronofsky film to date — from Ellen Burstyn’s tragic television watching in Requiem […]

Darren Aronofsky Movies

Darren Aronofsky Movies

A formerly regular column returns this week with some thoughts on the career and films of a personal favorite filmmaker. Darren Aronofsky’s absence from the cineplexes since the real social media boon means he isn’t mentioned as often among contemporaries like Wes Anderson, PT Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and others, but anyone who’s paying attention knows […]

Black Swan Review

Black Swan Review

RATING: (3 STARS) Black Swan represents the kind of ambitious, stylish filmmaking that’s easy to admire, tough to love, and impossible to forget. It’s a very visceral film that gets under your skin and stays there. Comparisons to director Darren Aronofsky’s last film—The Wrestler—are apt, though where that film was a quiet contemplation on a […]

Requiem for a Dream Review

Requiem for a Dream Review

RATING: (4 STARS) Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky’s sophomore effort and his best film to date, is an unshakable cry in the dark, a stern and impassioned warning about the dangers of addiction and the depths one will go to for another fix. It’s an extreme film, but it’s also as powerful as any […]