Wild at Heart

Rating:
Summary: Faking It
Review: Yawn. Sorry...I should be polite. David Lynch wrote and directed two of the most original and mind-expanding films of the past thirty years. "Eraserhead" (why the hell is it not available?!) and "Blue Velvet" were jarring, multi-leveled, and profound. Unlike most movies, the more you think about them, the richer they become. And the surface-logic (the first level) is completely fascinating and satisfying by itself...for those who don't have the time or energy to go deeper.

It's really sad that all the praise and respect Lynch earned with these two masterpieces should lead him to a tawdry charade like "Wild at Heart." It's as though (as often happens with intutitive artists) Lynch doesn't understand what made his great pictures tick; this film piles on the blood, non-sequitors, oddball characters, and visceral gross-outs, to no point. There's no structure, narrative drive, or internal logic to any of the events that make up its arbitrary "plot." The silly "Wizard of Oz" theme seems like a last-minute addition, it is so half-hearted and out of step with every other aspect of the film. Watching this is like drinking a generic, Food Lion cola labeled "Coke": all the same elements seem to be present, but that indefinable spirit is lacking. It all feels counterfeit.

And when things lack meaning, they become boring. "Wild at Heart" has a few witty lines and some decent action sequences (far surpassed by comedies like "Raising Arizona"), but such chronic emptiness makes it dull. And I will never see Lynch the same way, after the loathsome first scene in which a switchblade-wielding African American is unnecessarily beaten to death. By the protagonist!!! Totally hateful.

Rating:
Summary: A great film
Review: Wild at Heart is truly a great picture. I was in the movie as an extra, and got to work first-hand with David Lynch and Nick Cage. They were great. A Must See!

Rating:
Summary: Take a wild ride on the David Lynch express
Review: "Wild at Heart" is probably the last of David Lynch's truly great films. With a career that has since plummeted with "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" and "Lost Highway," Lynch's "Wild at Heart" is a great ride on the dirty road of the human soul. For Lynch fans like myself, it's those bizarre, quirky characters who perform odd and unusual acts which have causde repeated viewings over the years. A few examples include a contractor-mafia type who does business over the phone while on the toilet with two nude girls at his side and Crispen Glover's brief appearance as a man obsessed with Christmas and Martians who vanishes after developing strange habitats for cockroaches. "Wild at Heart" has superb casting with Nicholas Cage, Laura Dern, Harry Dean Stanton, Isabella Rosselini and Oscar-nominated Diane Ladd. The most convincing performance, however, is Willem DeFoe as the haunting Bobby Peru. His presence is upsetting, grotesque and at the same time hilarious. Lynch proves, as he did with "Blue Velvet," that his stories are character driven. "Wild at Heart" is a wild ride, but not intended for the lighthearted. It's got everything to merit a hard-R rating which makes it such an unforgettable David Lynch film.

Rating:
Summary: Shock value ... the kiss of death
Review: I found this movie too quickly repulsive and it destroyed my open-mindedness for the rest of the film. Interacial violence, unless it part of plot development, is a very delicate situation for many viewers like myself. When the violent scene occured I heard some people in the theatre cheering. Whether or not it was for the hero "defending" himself I'll never know. Later in the film there was another repulsive, unneccessary act of interracial violence. It's hard to enjoy (or try to get into) a film when you spend most of the time wondering what the director's (or the audiences') intentions are. If a film must rely solely on shock value to entertain then it must mean that there's no good story. And there isn't one at all: A parolee breaks parole and goes on a road trip with his girlfriend who's mother has hired a man to bring them back. (Yawn.)

This leads to another significant problem with this movie: it's so belittling to women. They are seen here as mindless sex toys for men. Even the main character, played by Laura Dern, has a two-dimensional personality and the only time she shows any vitality is when she's being sexually-assaulted by a relative or having it on with her boyfriend. I was also disappointed by the character played by Nicholas Cage--he was entirely unlikable. Actually, I could not relate to any of the characters but that in itself is not the worst thing; sometimes seeing a film like that helps us to appreciate other aspects like plot and dialogue and cinematography. But there is little hope for this movie. I feel I'm in the minority because Lynch's films are so well-loved and well-reviewed. He does have talent and good vision but I feel it was wasted on "Wild at Heart."

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Lynch masterpiece!
Review: Wild at heart is one of David Lynchs absolutely greatest works, a masterpiece of surrealism and right on target scenes. Nicholas Cage as "Sailor" makes a character colorful as seldom seen on a screen, it's definitely one of mr Cages absolutely best actings ever. This fabulous movie is one of the best in it's genre. The story never seems to wanna let go on you and you never want to leave it either. This is a film that could've been 5 hrs in length and still I would've been stucked in my chair smiling.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, if gross, throughout. Dafoe steals the show.
Review: An over-the-top performance by cage and dern make this one a winner. The star of the show, however, is Willem Dafoe. His turn as Bobby Peru is classic -- even better than his cameo in "cry baby." as usual, david lynch surrounds his characters with some of the creepiest people and places imagineable. it's great -- just watch out for mama dern...

Rating:
Summary: David Lynch's greatest masterpiece
Review: One of the most interesting and original films I have ever seen, Wild at Heart is an example of how even the most controversial themes can work brilliantly in a movie when they are used with good taste. Unlike Blue Velvet, this film is heavy on story and allusions, yet nothing seems out of place, and there are no unfortunate occasions of overly pretentious or hard-to-follow plotlines (Eraserhead, Twin Peaks). Brilliant performances by everyone, an incredible art direction and excellent soundtrack make this by far the most fascinating and moving film of David Lynch.

Rating:
Summary: Wild at Heart: A postmodern experience
Review: Nobody can talk about an aesthetic phenomenon and a successful film at the same time, before Wild at Heart. Rhythmic and fast, this film captures the essence of postmodernity. David Lynch use his creativity and talent to express new ways of love by breaking old fashion rules, exploring a new camera language and turning to literary intertextuality. Naturely, Wild at Heart is a love story which was constructed over normal concepts of love. After this film, movie directors must obviously accept that this is a cinematographic masterpiece.

MARJORIE ELJACH COLOMBIA SOUTH AMERICA

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Movie
Review: This movie is a must see for new Cage fans. The Wizard of Oz references are somewhat confusing, but makes for a very unique film. This film is not unlike David Lynch and is a must have in a Cage collection. END

Rating:
Summary: PLEASE RELEASE IT ON DVD!!
Review: David Lynch's Wild At Heart is a masterpiece, it won Palme D'Or at Cannes Film Festival for Best Picture. It has an outstanding cast, featuring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Isabela Rosselini, Sheryl Lee,
Diane Ladd, Harry Dean Stanton, Willem Dafoe and so many other great actors! Why wasn't yet released on DVD in North America? Everywhere else in the world was. David Lynch is one of the best American directors and "Wild At Heart" is one of his masterpieces.
My favorite line from this film is: CENSORED.