Inland Empire

[cearleywine]

Just watched it finally last night, loved it. For people that don't like Lynch films don't bother, but the directing and acting is sooooo good. Some of the scenes actually gave me chills from the intense imagery and music. Probably the best acting I've ever seen from Laura Dern. Blue Velvet is still my favorite he's done, but the way this one is directed makes it really unique. Very extreme closeups with a natural hand held movement. Lynch was actually the lead camera operator with numerous other places you can find his name in the credits. Great artistic film!

[EvanAgee]

I saw Inland Empire a few months ago and I'm still not sure what I thought about it. I love DL's films but this one was by far the most "out there" of them all. I'm done trying to figure out what it was all about, just can't get my head around it.

*** Possible Spoiler ***
The part where you find out that she (Laura) was the one messing about in the set while they were sitting there at the table having a discussion (including her) gave me some wicked chills.

[cearleywine]

I saw Inland Empire a few months ago and I'm still not sure what I thought about it. I love DL's films but this one was by far the most "out there" of them all. I'm done trying to figure out what it was all about, just can't get my head around it.

*** Possible Spoiler ***
The part where you find out that she (Laura) was the one messing about in the set while they were sitting there at the table having a discussion (including her) gave me some wicked chills.

yeah, the part that gave me the most chills was when she was shooting the gun and all of the sudden they show her face painted like a clown and the music got really loud, also the scene where she is running toward the camera. Yeah, I'm still trying to get my head around it also. But I can totally see how Lynch was a painter before director, he cares way more about the images telling a story by feeling rather than what he puts in the script. It's definitely out there, but probably what I'll remember most about the film is Laura Derns acting ability. She really made the film for me.

[EvanAgee]

Have you seen many of Lynch's other films? Just curious.

[cearleywine]

I'm pretty sure I've seen them all but Dune and Eraserhead. Wild at Heart doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves. Cage is such a bad ass in that movie.

It's not all Lynch but I recently watched the whole series of Twin Peaks, what an excellent show.

[EvanAgee]

I'm pretty sure I've seen them all but Dune and Eraserhead. Wild at Heart doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves. Cage is such a bad ass in that movie.

It's not all Lynch but I recently watched the whole series of Twin Peaks, what an excellent show.

So you've seen Mulholland Drive? I think that's probably my favorite Lynch film.

[cearleywine]

yeah, it is beautiful. I own the movie and soundtrack.

[Silent Heart]

What is it about Lynch? I've seen all his stuff and I think it's brilliant (Mulholland Drive, Elephant Man, Inland Empire) just as often as I think its self-indulgent and pretentious (Lost Highway, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet). But when it gets under my skin, there's nothing else quite like it. Inland Empire is one of those. A 3 hour movie where you never really have any idea what's going on but is nonetheless mesmerizing; who else but Lynch could pull that off? I agree that Laura Dern is what really makes the movie, just like Naomi Watts did with Mulholland Drive. I think maybe a very strong, emotionally rich performance at the heart of all the weirdness is what all his best movies have and all his not-so-great ones lack, at least as far as my tastes go. Anyway, like the OP, I'm also reluctant to recommend it to anyone, even other Lynch fans, but if the idea of watching a 3 hour nightmare doesn't turn you off, you just might find that it's one of the most disturbing, fascinating things you will ever experience.

[EvanAgee]

What is it about Lynch? I've seen all his stuff and I think it's brilliant (Mulholland Drive, Elephant Man, Inland Empire) just as often as I think its self-indulgent and pretentious (Lost Highway, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet). But when it gets under my skin, there's nothing else quite like it. Inland Empire is one of those. A 3 hour movie where you never really have any idea what's going on but is nonetheless mesmerizing; who else but Lynch could pull that off? I agree that Laura Dern is what really makes the movie, just like Naomi Watts did with Mulholland Drive. I think maybe a very strong, emotionally rich performance at the heart of all the weirdness is what all his best movies have and all his not-so-great ones lack, at least as far as my tastes go. Anyway, like the OP, I'm also reluctant to recommend it to anyone, even other Lynch fans, but if the idea of watching a 3 hour nightmare doesn't turn you off, you just might find that it's one of the most disturbing, fascinating things you will ever experience.

I think what is so compelling about his movies is that you have the sense while watching it that even though you have no clue what's going on that there is something going on, some deeper meaning. Something so huge and profound that if you could only grasp it and make sense it would probably hit you in the face like a truck, leaving you awestruck afterwords. It's the sense of hidden amazement staring you in the face, but you can't recognize it.

After watching Mulholland Dr. for the 6th or 7th time I finally started to get a grasp on what (I think) the movie is supposed to "mean". As I watched it again with my new idea no in mind the movie seemed much deeper and more profound than it had in previous viewings.

[jgyn]

Liked IE also.

[infragreen]

It lost me. It was just too abstract and slow. Watching Laura Dern walking around from one weird scene to the next for 3 HOURS ,with a scared and bewildered look on her face did nothing for me, and I got really bored.
It's probably my least favorite Lynch movie, next to Eraserhead and Lost Highway.

Mulholland Dr, Blue Velvet, and the Twin Peaks show were genius. They had better characters and had enough coherency to balance out the odd turns.

[Booya Tribe]

I just saw this a few days ago. I thought the acting was really good, but that in general the handheld camera work and poor quality of the image got in the way of the ability for the film to really penetrate through. I know it was shot in standard def DV, but I have definitely seen other movies shot in the same medium that looked better (also, I don't understand why they didn't just shoot it in HDV, it wouldn't have even cost more to make).

I am not against the low budget aspect or the abstract nature of the film. I just think more could have been done with what he had available (as, for example, Eraserhead was).

What it sort of felt like to me was a sketched out unfinished version of Mulholland Drive. It had too much in common with that movie in terms of the theme for my tastes.

If it had been shot with more care and better quality, it would have been a totally different film, because the medium wouldn't have stood in the way of the message.

It is definitely my least favorite Lynch film.

I think my favorite Lynch effort is Twin Peaks - so funny, yet so disturbing, such a great parody of television, and some of the best dream sequences in anything that I have ever seen. Blue Velvet is good too.