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Inland Empire [2007]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Though Inland Empire's three hours of befuddling abstraction could try the patience of the most devoted David Lynch fan, its aim to reinvigorate the Lynch-ian symbolic order is ambitious, not to mention visually arresting. The director's archetypes recognizable from previous movies once again construct the film's inherent logic, but with a new twist. Sets vibrate between the contemporary and a 1950s alternate universe crammed with dim lamps, long hallways, mysterious doors, sparsely furnished rooms and, this time, a vortex/apartment/sitcom set where rabbit-masked humans dwell, and a Polish town where women are abused and killed. Instead of speaking backwards, mystic soothsayers and criminals speak Polish. Filmed on video, the film's look has the sinister, frightening feel of a Mark Savage film or a bootlegged snuff movie. Constant close-ups, both in and out of focus, make Inland Empire feel as if a stalker covertly filmed it.

A straightforward, hokey plot unravels during the first third of Inland Empire to ground the viewer before a dive off the deep end. Actor Nikki Grace (Laura Dern) is cast as Susan Blue, an adulterous white trash Southerner, in a film that mimics too closely her actual life with an overbearingly jealous and dangerous husband. When Nikki and co-star Devon (Justin Theroux) learn that the cursed film project was earlier abandoned when its stars were murdered, the pair lose their grasp of reality. Nikki suffers a schizophrenic identity switch to Sue that lasts until nearly the film's end. Suspense builds as Nikki's alter ego sleuths her way through surreal situations to discover her killer, culminating in Sue's gnarly death on set. Sue's actions drag on because any sign of a narrative thread disappears due to idiosyncratic editing. Non-sensical scenes still captivate, however, such as when Sue stumbles onto the soundstage where she finds Nikki (herself) rehearsing for Sue's part. In this meta-film about identity slippage, Dern's multiple characters remind one of how a victim can become the hunter in their fight for survival. Lynch's portrayal of Nikki/Sue's increasing paranoia is, in its own confusion, utterly realistic. Laura Dern has created her own Lady Macbeth, undone by her guilt over infidelity. Even though Inland Empire is too long and too random, Laura Dern's performance coupled with Lynch's video experiments make it magical. --Trinie Dalton

Editorial
Synopsis

With INLAND EMPIRE, David Lynch--creator of such mind-bending works as ERASERHEAD and LOST HIGHWAY--delivers his most avant-garde, abstract, and impenetrable vision yet. A three-hour fever nightmare of a film, INLAND EMPIRE takes the basic structure of Lynch's 2001 masterpiece, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, and spins it even further out of control. A blonde actress (Laura Dern) is preparing for her biggest role yet, but when she finds herself falling for her co-star (Justin Theroux), she realizes that her life is beginning to mimic the fictional film that they're shooting. Adding to her confusion is the revelation that the current film is a remake of a doomed Polish production, 47, which was never finished due to an unspeakable tragedy. And that's the only the beginning. Soon, a seemingly endless onslaught of indescribably bizarre situations flash across the screen: a sitcom featuring humans in bunny suits, a parallel story set in a wintry Poland, a houseful of dancing hookers, screwdrivers in stomachs and much, much more. By the time the film's electrifying closing-credit sequence arrives, even diehard Lynch fans will be gasping for air. Laura Dern's multi-fractured performance is downright heroic. She gives the film the human grounding that it so desperately needs. Not for the fragile or timid, INLAND EMPIRE is a full-blown assault to the senses.

Plain awful
Review date: 2008-08-22 Rating: 2 out of 10

After the masterpiece that was Mullholland Drive, comes Inland Empire, David Lynch's worst film. The first half hour is semi-coherent, as Laura Dern plays an actress living in a very wealthy mansion in California (and with a very jealous husband) set to star in some film. Her costar is Justin Theroux and the director Jeremy Irons. The feature seems to have been made in the past, but it was reportedly stopped after its main actors were murdered. This is the start, and as the half hour approaches, the films collapses into absurdity, full of unconnected surreal vignettes that test the patience of the audience. For instance, Dern's character suddenly becomes a street hooker (is the actress dreaming she was a hooker or is it the other way around? does anybody cares?). As a twenty minute short, this material might be OK, but as a three hour feature this is simply unbearable. Even Lynch's previous bizarre feasts (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway) look like a model of lineal clarity as compared to this.

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Reviews


Probably not a film for everyone
Review date: 2008-08-16 Rating: 8 out of 10

I have a few problems with this film, but they are minor when compared with the good points about INLAND EMPIRE. The acting is flawless throughout - particularly from Laura Dern, without whom this film probably wouldn't hold up so well. It is shot beautifully, and Lynch's eye for strange and captivating images is reason enough to watch. And it is has people in rabbit suits. And any film with people in rabbit suits in a sit-com buys you time with me. And now for the problems... It's 3 hours long, and even going by how great this film his, it's still too long, and could have done with some cutting here and there, mainly in the middle section. It's also quite dark in places - not really making it atmospheric, but making it annoying you can't see what's going on. Apart from this, I think INLAND EMPIRE is very good, if a little draining to watch. I'm sure it does make sense if you think about it enough, but I'm happy to have just watched and enjoyed it for what it is.

Unique, not universal
Review date: 2008-07-05 Rating: 10 out of 10

I loved this film when I caught it at the cinema, and appreciated it more when watching on DVD. The reviewers who understandably didn't like it can hopefully respect that David Lynch is still doing his own thing though - unable to get funding in the US, his films are funded by French backers who allow him to do his own thing. Yep, I can see why people think Lynch is just indulging himself and being wilfully mysterious / incomprehensible, but I think Inland Empire is his best looking film yet and an incredible piece of work.

For those who bother to stay til the end, the final scene - various young starlets dancing away to 'Sinnerman' - easily stands comparison with the jazzed up music vids of today, while Laura Dern gives the best performance ever seen in a Lynch film (yes, better than John Hurt, Naomi Watts etc etc). I certainly didn't see a better female performance in 2007.

For what it's worth, I took the film to be a critique on Hollywood's attitude to actresses of a certain age - around Laura Dern's age actually. Lynch seems to be highly critical of the lack of quality roles available to the plus 40 actress, of the emphasis on vacuous lookers, of the pressure put on them by agents and producers etc.

But that's just what I thought. Clearly I'd recommend the film to anyone, but I suspect a flick over the reviews here would let you know if you'd like it or not.

boring boring boring
Review date: 2008-05-21 Rating: 2 out of 10

this is the first Lynch film I had to give up watching after a very painful hour. It feels like a bad nightmare and coming from a pretentious would-be- nouvelle vague director, with too much money on his budget and 50 years later. Fake and unsubstantial, perhaps it is time to retire!Don't bother

take away 2 hours an its not bad!!!
Review date: 2008-05-13 Rating: 2 out of 10

sorry but I hated this it was 2 hours too long made no sense and needed edited. I get the internal monologue and the non sequential time frame and the illussion of women in all their stereotypes. Also the madness and destruction of the main character. It just isnt working. Hes lost his way on this one- any positive reaction is all emperors new clothes- a sore disapointment from a genius who needs to get back to reality in order to portray illusion not the other way around.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Justin Theroux
Laura Dern

Creators:
Laura Dern (Primary Contributor)
Justin Theroux (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Optimum Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Optimum Home Entertainment
EAN: 5055201800268
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Anamorphic, PAL,
Release date: 2007-08-20
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 172 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2007-03-09
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Polish (Original Language)

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