Lost Highway
As Reviewed by Scott Nowlin
** out of ****
Lost Highway is an empty palace. It's a masterpiece about nothing. David Lynch has once again proven that he is one of the foremost directors in Hollywood (a shadowy, dark corner of Hollywood, none less) that puts style over substance. The fact that Lynch's style is very intriguing only keeps one diverted from the choppy, incomprehensible plot for a little while. Say, the first 45 minutes.
David Lynch hasn't really filmed a movie as much as he has filmed several sketched ideas that, if strung together with a decent plot, could have made a terrific film. Instead, the ideas were filmed in a manner that is both frustrating, confusing, and mildly entertaining. Lost Highway didn't really need a comprehensible plot as it does a common thread to the story. A character with which the audience can identify with. The film offers a million different twists and turns, but, somehow, can't come up with one reason why anyone should care about them.
Of these sketched ideas, there are quite a few that I enjoyed. For example, I really liked the party scene where Bill Pullman is confronted by his "inner self"... his inner self is basically a creepy, powdered prune (Robert Blake). Then, Pullman's wife (Patricia Arquette) is murdered, Pullman is jailed, and then he seems to switch places with a mechanic who has mob connections (shadesof Vertigo)... and who also has a crush on a blonde, also played by Patricia Arquette.
Anyway, blah, blah, blah. There are some good performances, there are some good scenes, and I'm sure there is some sense to be made out of this mess. But, the performances and scenes aren't held together by a common thread, which is crucial to sustain the interest of the audience. The only fun to be found in Lost Highway is to find reason where there is no reason. Think as you may, grasp as you may, watch it over and over as many times as you may... you're still coming up empty.