Visually beautiful and well-acted film with a couple of minor flaws

Rating: 7/10 (23 August 2006)

Well, I saw this movie three nights ago and it is still "with" me, so that says a lot. I think it is a beautiful, fascinating and evocative film, and good films about Hollywood and the movie biz are few and far between. I love good movies set in Hollywood -- my personal all-time favorite is "Into the Night" with Michelle Pfeiffer (when she was very young and really beautiful and not so affected) and Jeff Goldblum and Clu Gulager. As for David Lynch, I loved Twin Peaks and am still ticked off that it was canceled, all these years later. I didn't like Blue Velvet so much, though. So I guess that makes me objective.
After reading the lengthy plot summary here on IMDb immediately after seeing the film, I immediately got a handle on the movie's intricate structure and therefore did not have to wrangle with it until I came to a similar conclusion. Actually, my only complaint with Lynch is the blue box and key and the really tiny little people. Totally ludicrous and unnecessary. If there had been NO blue box, no blue key, and no really tiny little people, I think the movie would have been better. Much better. And no damage would have been done whatsoever. These particular elements added nothing but a touch of the ridiculous to what otherwise would have been a much better piece of work. We, the audience, would have caught on that the blonde lady was nutsy coo-coo without those ridiculous elements. Somebody needs to reign Lynch in a bit, for his own good.