A fantastic film that requires your brain to be switched on.

Rating: 10/10 (20 June 2002)

I should've commented on this film a long time ago, but better late than never. I have now had the opportunity to watch it again on DVD, an experience I will repeat frequently in the years to come.
Being a long-time Lynch fan I knew roughly what to expect when entering the theatre. I was expecting the unexpected so to speak (about the only time Lynch has really surprised me was with the Straight Story). Unfortunately, a lot of the audience had no idea what to expect, and admittedly Lynch can be hard to deal with at first glance. With that in mind, I have little trouble understanding all the negative comments the film has gotten on this and other sites. The average movie-goer expects to have everything spelled out for him/her in broad brush strokes and have everything wrapped up nicely by the credits. Luckily there are those that refuse to conform to this bleak standard, and those willing to back them up so the films get made.
About the film; there is little I can say about the plot that hasn't already been said. Personally I thought the plot was rather straight-forward once you got the timeline sorted out in your head. I certainly never felt the need to be on top of things as the film played out. The cinematography was so beautiful, the performances so electrifying and the scenes so intriguing that I was happy to just be swept along for the ride. And what a ride! Seldom do we see such powerful cinema, and as the pieces started coming together all I could do was sit back in awe of Mr. Lynch's vision. This isn't weirdness for the sake of being weird, this is carefully chosen imagery produced to make us think at more levels than a more straightforward motion picture would.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes films a little out of the ordinary. If you prefer lighter fare like your average blockbuster then hey, whatever floats your boat. Lynch isn't for everyone and one man's powerful vision is another's pretentious crap.