Review of Wild at Heart (1990) by Michael V — 10 Nov 2011

This movie is a great example of how David Lynch's mind works. Not his best work. I'd say that goes with Lost Highway. But this is a prime example of what makes Lynch great. Wild at Heart is one rough roller coaster ride and a typical Lynch-cocktail of violence, sex and of courseâ¦bizarre characters.

The greatest aspects in the screenplay are in fact the delicious side-chapters that are told without absolute necessity. Like the story about Lula's cousin, the torture of Harry Dean Stanton's character and the nasty and disturbing images of a car accident the protagonists come across.

These are the little sequences that truly prove Lynch's talent as a storyteller. It's a joy to watch and you really hate to love some of the offensive characters. Willem Dafoe takes the cake as Bobby Peru.

His portrayal is a neat follow-up to Blue Velvet's Frank Booth. Peru is a filthy and despicable pervert with itchy-trigger-fingers. It's a damn shame he hasn't got any more screen time. Wild at Heart surely isn't the greatest masterpiece out there, but you should love it for what it is: an absurd and entertaining adventure.