Requiem for a Dream

Date of review: 13 February 2014

A grim story of sadness and hope. An ending that might just bring tears to your eyes. A beautiful soundtrack. If these appeal to you, watch Requiem for a Dream.

This is a drama film about a widow and her only son, her son's best friend and his girlfriend. The mother is lonely and has a difficult relationship with her son. Her life is an unhappy one, until she receives a phone call to say she's been selected to appear on a television show. The mother begins dieting in order to fit into her favourite red dress.

Meanwhile the son, his best friend and his girlfriend consult on an idea to make money, to get wealthy and improve their lot in life. The son and his friend begin making lots of money through the drugs trade and things start to look up. The son visits his mother in order to make amends.

Summer passes and we enter autumn. The money is drying up, but new opportunities lie on the horizon. The girlfriend begins prostituting herself to make up for the deficit of money, while the mother starts taking dubious diet pills prescribed by an equally dubious doctor. Everyone clings to the hope that things will get better.

For the rest, you will need to watch the film.

The story focuses on the four characters mentioned above, as each of them try their best to improve their lot in life. The four different threads of the story frequently intertwine, as each of them work together to finally achieve their dream of a better life. As we come to the end of the film, we see the characters facing up to the reality they have created for themselves.

I can truly say this is a fantastic film. The sequences often switch between the various characters, yet it is all done in such a way that makes it easy to follow. The music is largely performed on a string quartet, which builds up a wonderful atmosphere that complements the story perfectly. The endings are simply beautiful and will leave you feeling a mixture of emotions. For fans of melancholy drama, this film is a must watch.