A Masterpiece of Mystery

Rating: 9/10 (6 May 2002)

It's been a long time since I have seen a movie that made me think this much. Perhaps I have never seen a movie that made me feel this way, but at long last I have, and I am glad I did. There hasn't been a director since Hitchcock that has made such thought provoking, mysterious pieces, that pull every string in your mind, and doesn't let go. The only difference is that Hitchcock told you the secret, whereas is seems that Lynch keeps it to himself. He leaves it up to the watcher to figure out what happened, like a detective solving a case. It reminds me of Robert Forester's character in this same movie. He is on screen for about 2 minutes, and it is like we are playing his role, trying to unravel this mystery. All the clues are there, we just have to look hard enough. I know what the ending meant and all that stuff (it required assistance as I only figured out half of it on my own), but it didn't matter if I ever found out because the movie was still enjoyable, and attempting to figure out what happened is most of the fun. Lynch takes us on this wild ride, and t just gets wilder at the end. Who is real? Who isn't? Are people what they appear to be? The answer is no. The details of this movie hung with me the whole day after I saw it, and i spent the entire time trying to piece together what happened myself, and it was a blast. I only hope more writers/directors are talented enough to deliver a genuinely chilling, mystery such as this wonderful film. Watching this movie was creepier than watching any of those crappy "horror" movies out there. And it was nice to see Lynch get a nod from the Academy for this brilliant work, even though he didn't win. A wonderful movie, with a wonderful cast and an amazing ride.