manythings711 Reviews

Inland Empire (2006)

I would like a red plumb floating in perfume served in a gentleman's hat.

[8/10 · 8 December 2006]

Much can be said about David Lynch but I think the mistake most people make is to think that he is trying to create a coherent and straight forward narrative structure. He is working on a subconscious level in his mind. The idea comes before the reason behind the idea. In many ways this is how art should be created because any other way will feel forced and pretentious.

David Lynch is not just trying to f*k with you. Its not meaningless and its not pretentious. If you've ever seen his interviews he is one of the most humble and soft spoken directors I've ever seen. Justin Theroux did a Q & A after my screening of Inland Empire and he described working with lynch as light hearted and fun. The complete opposite of what its like to watch some of his films which are often dark, terrifying, and disturbing.

Inland Empire is a sister film to Mulholland Dr. As my wife put it, "Watching Mulholland Dr. helped me to understand Inland Empire." They are two sides of the same coin. Lynch still seems to want to take a stab at the evils of Hollywood. His concern for the well being of actors is strong but this time instead of a new comer (Naomi Watts) he deals with one older actresses come back role and like Mulholland Dr. their are the evil producers behind the scenes and even the added possibility of a cursed set.

I am a huge Lynch fan. I don't find his films hard to understand. I am not a very intellectual person but Lynch's themes are so simple. The visuals are to be enjoyed on their own terms especially when they seem not to fit with the rest of the film. A lot of lynch's trademarks return, the dual personalities, time folding in on itself, gratuitous nudity, and another tragic murder mystery.

While this film does feel like a retread of Mulholland Dr. it also stands on its own especially since it contains a much more upbeat ending and perhaps four layers of storytelling,good luck figuring out which is which. He also continues to experiment with sound and even sings the vocals to a song in the film.

I got exactly what I wanted from Inland Empire. The downside to this is that Lynch is sort of repeating himself and I hope that doesn't mean he's out of ideas or perhaps Mulholland Dr. did not yet exercise his disdain for the studio system. The film is part murder mystery and part lucid dream. It has dream logic and has a lot of fun with some of its bizarre dialog and incredible visuals. This film also has much in common with Eraserhead in that he's completely free to explore his ideas. No one is telling him to shorten the film, cut out scenes, or that it doesn't make sense. Its uncompromising and truly art without boundaries.

My only other criticism is that the digital video is just ugly at times. When the shot is static the amount of detail in the picture can be incredible but when its hand held and moving around its grainy and looks pretty terrible. I miss the polished look of his older films but I guess that is going to be another thing that sets this movie apart from the others. I highly recommend this film to the Lynch enthusiast and to no one else. If you aren't in on the joke then I cannot imagine you leaving the theater happy after three hours of pure, free from concentrate, unpasteurized lynch. I went to see this with my wife and my best friend needless to say only I loved it. Take that as you will.

4/5

I Heart Huckabees (2004)

I wanted to heart Huckabees, instead I tolerated it.

[5/10 · 20 October 2004]

A noble failure. A comedy with very few laughs. A movie that doesn't know whether its mocking its philosophies or trying to search for them. Jonathan Mostow brings in a disappointing performance, and Hoffman and his wife character are painfully annoying and also unfunny. There are some good moments, but over all the first half of the movie is very forced. The script is way too noticeable, it almost felt like an exercise for actors rather than an actual movie with real dialogue. If you want to feel cultured or smart for enjoying this movie, go right ahead. I just wish my life was so easy that I could run around trying to answer existential questions like the awful characters in this movie. The movie just tries way too hard and never fully becomes what it wants. Wahlberg and Naomi Watts are highlights and make this movie much more watchable, but alas they still couldn't save the script from itself.

Garden State is a lot more subtle and communicates its ideas visually instead of discussing it out loud using characters who may as well be reading from a texit book.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Bubba Slow Tep

[28 September 2003]

When the man himself, Bruce Campbell, can make fun of the title of his own movie you know theirs something right going on with this movie. I won't bore you with a plot description. Don't expect any kind of horror, infact their is little to none. No gore, no mummy attacks, and very little action until the end. Instead you get an earnest and sad depiction of a legend in the last place you would expect him. We get many great narrations by Elvis on how he got to the home, and all the problems that old age have brought upon him. Ossie Davis is inspired and brings in just as many laughs as Bruce. This is one of the most endearing comedies in a long time, it ends so poignantly and ends up being a great homage to Elvis Presley himself. When you hear him talk about his daughter it almost brings a tear to your eye. By the time they do take on the Bubba Ho Tep creature, your ready for these two legends to fight back with not so much a bang, but plenty of heart. I can't recommed this movie enough, but don't expect an Evil Dead movie here, but expect to laugh and be surprisingly touched by Bruce's best performance in years.

Find this movie. Watch it. You will be glad you did.