"Best film of the year so far!" is a sensationalized load of bull. (Sorry to the writer, but, it is!)

Rating: 5/10 (22 December 2004)

Well, I have to admit, after watching the first half of this movie, I was already formulating in my head the horrible review I was going to give it; I was going to talk about how I like to give off-kilter movies a shot when others call them "stupid" or "horribly-done" because I can understand how maybe one thing or another wouldn't go right while making a movie, or the filmmakers didn't have the budget to fix something, or, they just didn't have the know-how to make a decent movie, or whatever the case may be.For example, the film "Smoke Signals," which was most likely low-budget, which had a good story and (mostly) decent acting, in spite of distracting parts of the film, like the god-awful wigs some of the characters wore
I was prepared to say that I usually give what some would consider "bad" movies the benefit of the doubt, but that this was just a horrible movie; first and most obvious, the acting was wretched, and then, the story was all over the place, and lastly, the script was questionable. Of course, it didn't help that I'd read a bad review beforehand, but, even without doing so, I think I would've noticed the sour notes this movie hit.
In all honestly, I was almost going to turn the movie off. That's how much I disliked it. But, being the obsessive-compulsive person I am, I had to see the picture in its entirety, so, I hung in there. I was hoping for it get better, wondering where it was going, pondering what on earth the filmmakers were thinking, etc.
Well, anyway, I decided I'd try to watch the whole film, and, there was a definite turning point, probably more towards the end than the middle. I can't say whether it was positive or not, but, it was most certainly an improvement from the first portion of the movie, if, in nothing else, at least the acting performances.
All in all, some of this movie was intriguing, and did have a few high points (Possible spoiler: I'm not going to lie, the love scene between Naomi Watts and Laura Harring was very erotic.) After it was finished, it probably left me with more questions than answers. Would I recommend it? Only to film buffs who feel the need to see movies for curiosity, or their own satisfaction and education.
It is possible that I've completely missed the deeper meaning of this film. I do have to give it credit, though, for taking me on an indescribable journey of confusion, suspense, anticipation, fear, frustration, and disgust (and not always from what you're supposed to be frustrated and disgusted by.) So, if you're looking for an escape - a twisted, tumultuous, nightmarish escape, one which you may never hope to go on again - this is the film to do it with.