A Glorification of Psychosis

Rating: 1/10 (14 April 2002)

David Lynch is a master film maker, no question about that. But I guess life according to Lynch, or at least this movie, is: start out happy and cheerful, and end up killing yourself. I'm so tired of 'critically acclaimed' movies that are all about disconnecting from life. According to this theory, messing up your life is the only alternative because that's what 'reality' is. Well, if you're a fan of meaningless glorification of psychosis, then this is the film for you. A lot of clever film gimmicks, quirky editing, and a film noir, almost a dreamlike feel, characterizes this movie. I will say that Naomi Watts is terrific and shows off her versatility, playing the full range of emotions effortlessly. It's almost worth it to sit through this jumble of disconnected scenes to see her performance. But what a waste of time for such a pointless motif as this film has. As a friend of mine who watched the movie with me said: "I want those two hours of my life back."