Donnie Darko

Four stars. Recommended.

Fascinating, but somewhat uneven tale about a mentally disturbed teenager who sees visions of a man-sized rabbit from the future. As he follows the rabbit's orders, the small-town life around him unravels with tragi-comic effects. Heartfelt and genuinely poignant performances all round, with beautiful direction and cinematography to match. The scene where the high school is introduced is a masterpiece: long tracking shots with balletic camera swoops, speed-ups and slow-downs, all to the tune of "Head Over Heels" by Tears For Fears. Unfortunately the story's pace feels off-balance, and the ending is too ambiguous to be completely satisfying. Nice if you want something to scratch your head over, though.