Year of Release: 1990
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini, Willem Dafoe, Harry Dean Stanton, Grace Zabriskie, Calvin Lockart, J.E. Freeman, Sherilyn Fenn, Crispin Glover, David Patrick Kelly, Freddie Jones
Genre: Crime, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:
At the peak of astounding success that was "Twin Peaks", director David Lynch presented the fantastic (and controversial) "Wild at Heart" at the Cannes Film Festival (where it won the Palm D'Or for best film). Based on the book by Barry Gifford, the film follows the story of young lovers, Sailor and Lula. Sailor gets sent to prison, following a particular attack orchestrated by Lula's mom who hates him and wants him as far away from Lula as possible. Upon his release, they set out to California, but once again with ferocious threats looming, as Lula's mom once again puts a target on Sailor's head. During their road trip the pair of young lovers encounter all sorts of situations, characters and further cement their love for each other.
"Wild at Heart" could have easily been translated into a road trip film of two lovers escaping a mob of deranged contract killers, in a somewhat generic fashion (much like what Tony Scott did with "True Romance" in 1993). However, David Lynch as is usual with his films, infuses the narrative with his own prism and blend of reality and surrealism, populating the story with extreme characters and situations, sometimes stretching the credibility to a breaking point, but never losing track of what his universe is and where his interests truly lie. It's a film that once again opens the gates for a series of references, over the top characters, where the poetic and lurid walk hand in hand, creating this experience that like most of his films is unique and unforgettable. The characters are somewhat primal and more than a few lack nuance, but it's nonetheless a fantastic feat to witness the universe of an artist be this eloquently displayed, with a cast that is deeply committed to bring these vignettes and situations to life. Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Willem Dafoe, Harry Dean Stanton, Grace Zabriskie, are all fantastic, and make this film a great experience to watch. The music from Angelo Badalamenti is fantastic as is the cinematography from Frederick Elmes. A great film from a uniquely talented voice in cinema.
"Wild at Heart" could have easily been translated into a road trip film of two lovers escaping a mob of deranged contract killers, in a somewhat generic fashion (much like what Tony Scott did with "True Romance" in 1993). However, David Lynch as is usual with his films, infuses the narrative with his own prism and blend of reality and surrealism, populating the story with extreme characters and situations, sometimes stretching the credibility to a breaking point, but never losing track of what his universe is and where his interests truly lie. It's a film that once again opens the gates for a series of references, over the top characters, where the poetic and lurid walk hand in hand, creating this experience that like most of his films is unique and unforgettable. The characters are somewhat primal and more than a few lack nuance, but it's nonetheless a fantastic feat to witness the universe of an artist be this eloquently displayed, with a cast that is deeply committed to bring these vignettes and situations to life. Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Willem Dafoe, Harry Dean Stanton, Grace Zabriskie, are all fantastic, and make this film a great experience to watch. The music from Angelo Badalamenti is fantastic as is the cinematography from Frederick Elmes. A great film from a uniquely talented voice in cinema.
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