David Lynch's Inland Empire (Limited Edition Two-Disc Set)
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Movie Reviews of David Lynch's Inland Empire (Limited Edition Two-Disc Set)
Movie Review: I wish it was a story...
Summary: 4 Stars
There are many good things going in Inland Empire, but the movie lacks form. Rather, it lacks decision. Should Lynch try this again, let's hope for four or five really good short pieces which complete themselves. After Mulholland Drive, I had high hopes for this one. I was excited when I saw the bunnies in the preview; the gorgeous Polish drawing room thrilled me in the first part; the crazy old lady; the cigarette and silk. But what became of it? A run-on (and on, and on, and on.) Now; I'll say I love the whole thing and wish that it could be five stars. But even though I love it, my values and judgement will not allow me to give it this rating.
For Lynch completists only. David, if I may be so bold, give us another Blue Velvet, aother Mulholland, another Elephant Man, another Eraserhead for Chrissake! But not this installation piece, please! It's a movie, not a museum. But Laura Dern, why, she amazes me always.
Movie Review: Lynch at his most Lynchian
Summary: 5 Stars
Love him or hate him, there is no other director like David Lynch. True, his films are not for everyone and so reviewing or recommending his work is always a difficult process. If you've seen, and appreciated, his previous movies then you will surely love "Inland Empire", Lynch's most daring, creative and challenging work to date. If not, than this film is probably not for you.
As other reviewers have noted, the plot of this movie revolves around an actress (Laura Dern) who's life becomes intertwined with a character she's playing. Of course, it sounds a little gimicky, but Dern's transition from one reality to another is pulled off with eerie perfection. Perhaps less narrative than some of his previous films, Lynch develops atmosphere, tone and mood to create a three hour nightmare of loosely connected scenes and images - for example, the frequent shots of giant rabbits in a bizarre, sit-com-like tableaux seem to have little to do with Dern and the rest of the film. Pulled back and forth between time and place, the audience is left disoriented and looking for answers until the final scene. Whether you love it or hate it, you will never see another movie like "Inland Empire".
Movie Review: Probably my least favorite Lynchian movie.
Summary: 3 Stars
The movie centers around an enormously wealthy actress Nikki (Dern) who after getting an usual visit by a crazed Polish immigrant neighbor (Twin Peaks's Grace Zabriskie), Nikki gets a call from her agent telling her she got casted in the role of Sue in this of this romantic movie. Still in pre-production the movie was soon revealed by the director (Jeremy Irons) that the movie was in fact a remake of a Polish movie that was never finished because the main actress died during filming. After that the movie goes into a winding trip in which we follow Nikki/Sue dealing with her abusive husband who has connection with the Polish mob, visiting a Psychiactric counselor in a rundown building, several obscure scenes with people in bunny suits, encountering drug addicted prostitues along the Hollywood strip and in Nikki/Sue home, wondering if she is in reality or not and constant shots of a city in Poland.
I wouldnt say this is my favorite David Lynch movie (that goes to "Blue Velvet", "Wild At Heart" and "Mulholland Drive") it was too long "almost 3 hours of non stop acid trip". It dragged on! There were lots of unnecessary scenes in this movie that should've been left in the cutting room floor, one particular scene that seems like Lynch was ripping on Tarantino's style of endless dialog. IMO this movie wouldve been better if Lynch boggled it down to at least one and a half or two hours long. Interesting this movie does feature cameos such as Willam H. Macy, Mary Steenbergen (Back to the Future 3), Diane Ladd, and Julia Ormond.
Movie Review: crazy horses
Summary: 5 Stars
The opening montage alone is enough to intrigue, disturb and wildly entertain. Black and white headless bodies, technicolour dazzle,human acting rabbits in a distintly unfunny sitcom and we're not even past the ten minute mark. Laura Dern doesn't even feature in this spectacular overture but the film is all hers, it's her Inland Empire we peer into and by the end she's watching, literally, with us. Every frame of this film is vital and with more in common with music than convential cinema, demands that we watch, and I mean really look, at what's being projected to us and then re watch again and again. Laura Dern's character talks of men revealing themselves over time, eventually exposing their true nature and that is what this masterpiece does also. In time you feel you understand what you're watching, that you feel your way to a conclusion and it really is a very beautiful thing.Movie Review: Inland Empire
Summary: 3 Stars
Look, I love me some David Lynch. In my opinion, and the opinion of most of his fans, is that he is one of the few artists working in the medium of film. So, because of both this and the six year wait since his last film, the amazing "Mulholland Drive", I was more than hyped up to see his latest picture, "Inland Empire". And since it never got around to playing where I live, I had to wait around until it was released on DVD.
So anyways, what's my take on "Inland Empire"? Well...
"Inland Empire" is neither of of Lynch's best (it's not "Mulholland" or "Blue Velvet" or "Lost Highway") nor is it one of his worst (hey, anything is better than "Dune", right?), but the movie still feels a little like a placeholder, like Lynch is spinning his wheels a little bit, making what feels, at times, like someone trying to approximate a David Lynch film.
Now did get me wrong. If you are a David Lynch fan you will find plenty of stuff to like about "Inland Empire". The problem is is that because of it's three hour running time, you will also have to sit through a lot of sutff that doesn't work as well.
In fact, the biggest problem with this movie is the fact that it is far too long by about forty five minutes. The parts and scenes of this movie that work work as well as anything the man has done. But far too often scens just go nowhere and add to nothing.
Also, the film being shot on consumer digital video, peridocially the movie looks cheap, as if it was made by an upstart cable network.
But the film does work sometimes, and when it works it really works, and Laura Dern turns in what is by far her best performance to date. Add to that, the DVD is well put together with some cool extras (including over an hour of delted scenes, which should at least make fans happy that this movie isn't four hours long), and fans of David Lynch will need to add it to their collection.
Non-fans, however, should probably go and check out "Mulholland Drive" or "Blue Velvet" first.