Ellen Burstyn and Jared Leto pull no punches in a harrowing tale of drug addiction
This grim, gut-wrenching drama pulls the viewer forcibly into the maelstrom of drug addiction. Ellen Burstyn gives an outstanding performance as the mother of addict Jared Leto. He'll sell anything he can get his hands on to fuel his habit - including the TV that she spends all day watching.
Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans are also casualties in an unrelenting saga of dependency, despair and degradation. Powerful, compelling and emotionally draining, this adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr's cult novel by American indie director Darren Aronofsky is, ultimately, a tour de force.
Aronofksy displays such a masterful control over both sound and image that it's almost impossible to tear one's eyes away from the screen as the film builds inexorably toward it's nightmarish conclusion.
