Inland Empire

This is my first entry in what will hopefully be a catalogue of films.

Inland Empire is a film that cannot be analysed in the same way as your average film. It is most definitely 'art cinema'- non linear narrative, characters acting inconsistently from scene to scene and abstract meaning. It's all there. The film stars Laura Dern, who seems to be something of a muse to Lynch and co-produced the film. She plays an actress who takes the lead role in a film based on a Polish wives tale. The thing is, I can't actually say that last sentence was true. In Inland Empire, nothing is certain. Dern's character seems to be playing numerous reflections of herself in multiple realities, which makes it basically impossible for the audience to derive a coherent plot to follow. We don't know if we're seeing a film within a film, or a dream within a film, or a film within a dream. It is completely open to interpretation.

At the beginning, an elderly Polish woman arrives at Dern's house, and warns her of the curse on her film. It is one of the most eerie sequences in the film. The camera is uncomfortably close to the woman's boggling eyes and thin, predatorial smile. It is very reminiscent of Nic Roeg's films, where the claustrophobia is conjured by extreme close ups, tilted angles and unhinged orchestral music.

The film was shot digitally, and the film has a grainy look to it which contributes to the feelings of uncertainty. The camera also allows Lynch an adventurous, roaming style adding to the edginess. Although the shots aren't as composed as say Mulholland Drive, there are some genuinely striking visuals and moody colours. It's grungy, freeform feel is a departure for Lynch but it works for the most part.

Most of the characters are typically Lynchian in their oddness. Swaying uncomfortably between deranged amusement and feverish seriousness, there is never a let up of the intensity of the characters we encounter. Dern is quite excellent, giving a committed and uninhibited performance in a difficult role. Much of the scenes were supposedly written just before they were shot, so Dern shows a remarkable ability to adapt to the chaotic nature of the production and the characters.

I have no idea what is going on in this film, and for that matter, Lynch's quiffed head. For me, it veered between morbid fascination, horror, boredom and confusion. I must confess I struggled through the film in 3 parts- the length of the film coupled with it's tangled narrative and mercurial characters meant I floundered somewhat. I feel that a more concise running time would have packed a more powerful punch. What I'm left with is a film with a handful of images that will resonate uncomfortably in the burrows of my mind.