Review of Inland Empire (2006) by Hannah M — 05 Jan 2012

Seeing as how David Lynch is one of my all-time favorite directors, I surprised myself by waiting so long to actually see Inland Empire. I'm not going to pretend to understand it because, honestly, I don't. I don't think anyone could possibly understand everything about this film. And halfway through, I started thinking that Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway may not be so confusing after all. I mean, they pale in comparison to the utter bizarre nature of this movie.

I also started wondering whether or not the length might be a disadvantage to fully appreciating this movie. It's not that I mind watching long movies, but it's different with Lynch. His material is so structured (whether you choose to believe that or not) and heavy, anything more than two hours can be a huge load for the viewer to carry, especially when we have no idea what any of it actually means. Mulholland pulled this off incredibly well, but I still have mixed feelings regarding Inland Empire. Those who are not familiar with Lynch's previous work may not want to watch this one first. But, being the huge Lynch fan that I am, I was able to appreciate the risks he took with this film and the fact that it seemed so experimental. What's nice about Inland Empire is that all the familiar Lynch trademarks are there: the ominous music, his fantastic use of lighting, the range of emotions he evokes from his leads (in this case Laura Dern, who is absolute perfection), the mysterious strangers who never appear for more than a few minutes, and yes, even the red lampshades have a special place here. It wreaks of a massive accomplishment for Lynch but, in my opinion, seemed to be just a little too much to handle. Did I like it? Sure, but I doubt I'll be rushing out to buy the DVD anytime soon. It just took a lot out of me and while the payoff in the end was definitely worth the two plus hours to get there, it's not something I could enjoy on a regular basis. I am glad I finally saw it, though. My faith in Lynch has once again been restored and as long as he continues his work, I'll be there every step of the way supporting him.

On a side note, I never thought I'd hear Beck played in one of Lynch's films. I suppose there's a first time for everything. And who doesn't love Rabbits?