Donnie Darko
9 out of 10 As a rule, I hate films I can’t explain. Donnie Darko is a nice exception to that rule. The film tells the story of a teenage boy who cheats death by sleepwalking when a jet engine crashes onto his house. What follows this, while firmly bedded in the sci-fi genre, is a whole world of Just Plain Weird™. Told by a 6-foot rabbit named Frank that the world is due to end in 28 days, Donnie, played brilliantly by Jake Gyllenhaal , is slowly drawn into uncovering the meaning behind it all. Now, I’ve seen the film at least twice and, were it not for reading FAQs on the web, I still wouldn’t have got it. In fact, I felt happier before I knew the explanation — let that be a word of warning. Until I found out, the film had real replay value. Now, I feel I’ve spoiled it for myself. Anyway, it’s still a great film and it’s easy to see how it gained its cult status. Not your average story, good actors, good acting, nicely shot, perfe...