From the brief research I did on this movie it didn't really start off as a feature length film, rather David got his hands on a digital camcorder and being a director of short films as well just wanted to experiment making little vignettes, but as he kept making more he started forming connective tissue and that's why not only the movie pushes 3 hours but also feels secular. So it's a difficult task to summarize the plot, even the studio had no clue how to market it but from what I gathered a young actress accepts a role for a movie whose script is alleged to be cursed and the lines between fiction and reality blur severely. Which I actually have to admit the movie got me several times where it seems like normal real life stuff is happening and it's revealed they are in the middle of a scene, that was Kino material. But man it easily is the most confusing of David's works and I can actually summarize why: because you can't really interpret it. Eraserhead has theories and ideas from the audience as to what it could mean, Fire Walk With Me has a whole show attached to explore the ideas presented within, but Inland Empire is so out there. Now I myself had one or two inklings as to what the movie could potentially be about, either a potential slam against method actors and how they are always the character no matter what or it shows no matter what walk of life or country you hail from women always have to contend with shall we say less desirable men or as I would call them wretched jackasses who I would punch in the throat. It's an odyssey of a story no doubt about it. I'm fairly sure people aren't wild about the look of the film either, even for myself it was a hard thing to disconnect from but that is strictly because I've seen independent filmmakers, online personalities, and plenty of urban explorers use a digital camera like this. So the slight grain, the handheld quality, coupled with certain sets certainly gave me 2007 Youtube vibes. But I mean truthfully the camera quality may be low, but the production is far from it. We get large sets sometimes lavishly designed, back alleys and streets that look legit on location around southern California, and effectively eerie editing. Casting certainly hasn't downgraded I can tell you that, with Laura Dern even herself admitting not knowing what the movie was about still brings her A level skill to the part and I firmly believe David when he says she can play anything. Justin Theroux back again, great to see him even if the part is more secondary, but his scenes are mere appetizers to the strange and unusual nature of this film. Karolina Gruszka is kinda the one who starts and ends the movie for us, an anomaly to be sure but a good performance regardless. Not much on the musical side of things score wise but I feel that was intentional, really sinks you into the world and has this unease in the silence. Good song selection though when called for, and even in the midst of this almost nonsensical story it somehow I still don't know how made me cry at the end. Now I attribute that more to the song Polish Poem which is an absurdly beautiful song, I'm kinda upset at how wonderful it truly is, but that has to mean something that even after all the madness of the story plays out I can hit those kinds of emotions, and that must be commended. It's probably my least favorite of David's movies but unwatchable it is not and I'm happy to say we just have one more to go before the ranking. 2 stars from me, 6/10, tune in next time for the movie that got David really on the map from then on.
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