A difficult film, yet still highly intriguing and enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 2005)

I knew this was going to be a difficult film when i opened the DVD case to find a list of hints to aid me in 'unlocking' the secrets of the movie. Although I did feel that I enjoyed it, by the end i was beginning to wonder exactly why, and I was frustrated that many of my questions had been left unanswered. Having watched it a second time I have come to feel that this is actually one of the elements I like about the film, and it makes me respect David Lynch even more as a director. Instead of having everything spelt out for you the movie leaves you to figure things out yourself. The distorted plot, strange characters and settings will stick in your mind for days as you try to determine exactly what was going on. The music in the film was great too, with an eerie tune underlying many scenes that filled them with atmosphere and a strange tension, and makes some scenes really creepy. I found myself gripped to the movie at several moments, wondering what was going to be thrown at me next. I thought Naomi Watts was excellent, in my mind this is one of her best performances (and let's be honest, you can't totally knock a film that contains sex scenes between Naomi Watts and Laura Harring). Overall I think this is an interesting movie and extremely thought-provoking, although it's definitely not one to watch if your looking for a straightforward and easy film.