“Lost Highway” marks my fourth foray into Lynch’s twisted mind. The first three films; “Eraserhead,” “The Straight Story,” “Mulholland Drive,” have found themselves at various ranking points in my personal Top Films List. Will the trend continue?
This 1997 neo-noir psychological horror film came five years before the lauded “Mulholland Drive” and its fingerprint of weirdness and style is all over it. Before Ari Aster and Robert Eggers, David Lynch was crafting surrealist films with beautifully aesthetic cinematic prowess.
“Lost Highway” opens with a trippy long shot as the credits are introduced. The score, the cast, the imagery – we know we are getting something unique.
Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) is a saxophonist in an LA jazz band. He and his wife, Renee (Patricia Arquette) begin receiving video tapes in the mail. Each tape revealing footage of their own home. And them inside. As the tapes get stranger, so does the rest of the story.
Timeless Cast
“Lost Highway” does some things quite well, starting with the cast. I’ve been a Bill Pullman fan since I fell in love with “Spaceballs” as a ten-year-old. Pullman generally plays more upbeat, comical characters. He slides right into the noir styled role of Fred Madison with effortless ease. Pullman can pull off the leather jacket and smoke filled lounges his character haunts. He’s likeable, and someone the audience can get behind.
Likewise, Balthazar Getty (who has the greatest name of all time) is right at home with his role of Pete Dayton. Dayton is a typical low-life who is dealing with his own set of circumstances – revealing anything would be impossible due to the constraints of the story. Getty is the type of actor who seems to look the part he is playing by simple happenstance. Here, its no exception.
Patricia Arquette completes the primary cast nicely. She comes at the performance with multiple angles. And she has a timeless look that fits perfectly into the strangeness of the story.
The supporting cast has big names like Robert Blake (in his final role), Robert Loggia, and Gary Busey. Michael Masse (of 24 fame) and my boy Giovani Ribisi make appearances. Comedian Richard Pryor, and musicians Henry Rollins and Marilyn Manson have cameos. As does Jack Nance, who stared in Lynch’s first film, “Eraserhead.”
“Lost Highway” is a visual and audio feast. There’s a dreamlike quality that engulfs every scene. The dialogue is intentionally stilted. Scenes are well acted, well directed and effectively bizarre. There are a few chilling parts, but I wouldn’t label this as horror.
Too Long
While the filmmaking is outstanding, the story itself is a mess. I was invested for the first act, but the confusing mishmash that follows left me bored and uninterested. At 134 minutes, its too long. But even a tighter editing job couldn’t save the incoherent story.
“Lost Highway” is a bad movie. I’ll definitely be watching more David Lynch films, but will never revisit this one.
“Lost Highway” can be rented on Amazon
