Bizarre, puzzling, and very Lynch

Rating: 10/10 (30 August 2007)

I knew it would be bizarre, baffling, and frustrating going in, and that's exactly what I got. I knew from various reviews that it wasn't straight-forward at all, but I knew that I liked Lynch already, so I was interested in how I would like it. And, like the two Lynch films I've watched before, I'm having trouble pinning a grade down. I also know that this is the most obsessed I've been with a film of this ilk after a first-time watch since Donnie Darko.
It's so hard to define why I loved it so much. I suppose because it's a combination of so many bizarre story ideas that I love - surreal realities (Stay, Jacob's Ladder), tangled film noir (L.A. Confidential, Double Indemnity), strange time shifts (Twelve Monkeys, Memento) and fantastic visuals (Eternal Sunshine, Brazil). It's definitely a lot like the aforementioned Donnie Darko, but it's also very different from it. It's a puzzle movie wrapped in a visual feast, and sprinkled with that Lynch touch. It really was quite amazing.
At the same time, I felt like I'm missing something. The main interpretation of the film (first 2/3 a dream, last third reality) fits well, but also leaves a lot out. So many strangely placed scenes and colourful characters that come out of nowhere. I mean, Robert Forster is given the 'and' billing but gets only one scene and a few lines. And the two guys at the diner near the beginning? It's just a very weird experience.
I have to say, though, that I loved the experience. It's one of those films where you are in awe the first time you watch it; where a blind viewing is key to your enjoyment. I certainly wouldn't have liked it as much if I had known what was going on. Trying to figure it out is the fun of this film, and every other puzzle movie. It may not be enjoyable for some, but I loved it.