David Lynch’s INLAND EMPIRE

This movie was long, long, long. The opening 5 minutes or so were astonishingly good, and there were isolated moments that were breathtaking in their beauty and emotional profundity. Plus, Jeremy Irons is in it – how cool is that? I was disappointed that he didn’t play a creepy character, but he does play a quirky director and has quite a few funny lines. Lynch has been pretty vocal about his switch to digital, and I have to say I’m all right with digital as long as people are able to use it as artfully as he has here. Lot of great textures and lighting as well as creative fades and blurs. Usually people with digital cameras just point and click, and we’re left with a pixellated, gray-toned, indistinct mess. The depth of color is definitely sacrificed, but he achieved some great clarity of light and tone.

Like I said, this movie was long. Three hours long. The seats in The Music Box are damn uncomfortable, and there are far too many shots of Laura Dern walking down an indistinct, poorly lit hallway while menacing music plays. If Lynch was trying to induce a trance-like state, he certainly achieved that. I feel like there was a lot going on, and I’d love to dissect this movie more – but on DVD, in the comfort of my own home. It’s definitely more successful than Mulholland Drive.

Guess what? David Lynch was there! He introduced the movie, and while he was standing onstage in front of the huge red velvet curtain, with hundreds of camera flashes going off, all I could think of was, “Gee, this looks like a scene from a David Lynch movie…. Whoa….” They also brought an armchair up afterwards, and he sat in it and answered questions. He seems to be an entirely cheerful, jovial, and friendly man, and it was a wonderful surprise to be able to see and hear him in person. Lehn had bought the tickets a month ago, and said that supposedly Lynch was going to be there, but I figured he wouldn’t show up and forgot about it until I got there. Nicest surprise of 2007 so far!