Wild At Heart (1990)

Interesting at heart

A very underrated movie. Not David Lynch's best, but certainly one of his most interesting. Very cool performances from the entire cast and lots of great images.
The story goes from bizarre to dark to humorous. Never boring, but somewhat confusing at times, but that's part of it's appeal.
June 3, 2008

Violent, Rauchy Romance anyone???

AWESOME MOVIE!!!
Im a huge David Lynch fan! I own all his movies and most everything he's ever touched/helped work on. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!! Even those who don't know or like David Lynch films... will LOVE this movie. Totally Violent, raunchy, campy, dark, comedic (dark), and noir. This is a totally CARNAGE CLASSIC that needs a place next to PULP FICTION!
In the tradition of TRUE ROMANCE, its a totally mash up of Tarantino, John Waters, and David Lynch's signature style. TOTALLY RECOMMENDED to the select collector!
Oh, and Nicholas Cage sings 50's rockabilly music including an Elvis song... and Im not a Huge Nicholas Cage fan, but he does pretty damn well... I was shocked! April 4, 2008

From The Gutter

My introduction to the work of David Lynch came years ago when Eraserhead was first released. Then years later, I saw and liked both Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. So late last year, after reading quite a few positive reviews, I decided to add Wild at Heart and Inland Empire to my collection. Inland Empire proved to be so unwatchable (I still have yet to sit through the whole thing) that I put off watching Wild At Heart until just last week.
Well, I should have watched Wild At Heart first. Contrary to what some reviewers say, it does have a storyline (a twisted love story) you can follow if you pay close attention. And paying close attention seems to be the key to even beginning to understand any David Lynch film.
Those familiar with Lynch films will not be surprised to find that Wild at Heart is liberally filled with the kind of low-life degenerates and assorted wierdos that typically populate his cinematic world. There is hardly a single likeable character in the film. The average viewer will alternate between feelings of contempt and revulsion as Lynch's characters parade before their eyes.
Despite the convoluted and downright silly "plot", some rather decent performances were turned in. Nicolas Cage makes an excellent greaseball with that silly disco-daddy snakeskin jacket and his Elvis affectations. Laura Dern is easy on the eyes as always and pulled off her role as a mixed-up and profoundly disturbed skank quite well. Other key characters were equally on top of their games. But the best performance of all was turned in by Willem Dafoe whose movie character is so very nearly sub-human that the viewer is delighted when he is ultimately ventilated in a hail of police bullets.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie enough to where I wouldn't object if a visitor wanted to watch it, but Wild at Heart doesn't have near the intensity of Blue Velvet or the often morbid sensuality that animates Mulholland Drive. If you get this edition, you may find that watching the extras first enhances your enjoyment of the main feature. March 31, 2008

Wild at Heart is a sensual masterpiece...

Tom Keogh, the author of the "official" Amazon.Com review for this film, is, as far as I can tell, a complete idiot. His appreciation of this masterpiece is so stunted, so prissy, and so dismissive that I can only assume his life has neither prepared him for the film, nor given him any acquaintance with the type of situations and modes of life that the film delves into -- this world really is out there, and the sensual, violent and almost Darwinian struggles that transpire there are not so different from the polite society which Mr. Keogh evidently considers the proper dimension for story telling. Wild at Heart has been on my Best American Films Ever Made list ever since I first saw the film just after its original release. Rather than being incoherent, Wild at Heart is Lynch's most linear, structured film, and vastly superior to Blue Velvet which, to this reviewer, is the more likely film to be accused of incoherence and random visual ranting. Wild at Heart is a sensual masterpiece, filled with wit, dark parables and stunning performances -- has Laura Dern ever had a more memorable role or given a more memorable performance; has Nicholas Cage ever really moved far past the template he created in this film and in "Moonstruck"? Just a wonderful production, Lynch's greatest film story. January 5, 2008

courage>heart>brains>>>>OZ gets Lynched

Okay, is this a window or a noose? David Lynch gives you another opening to stick your head through. His tweaking with reality makes it difficult for you to feel normal.
Here you've got two young, star-crossed lovers, Sailor and "Peanut". They both have dark pasts, little corners in their memories where the light refuses to shine. Together, with hearts burning with passion, they try to chase their dreams and run from their nightmares. This intense, bizzare little romance reminded me of Mickey and Mallory from Natural Born Killers.
Nicolas Cage plays Sailor, and plays him well. Although Cage has limitations overall, he seems to excel in this type of role--a friendly, misunderstood reject. He is morally astute and courteous, but also has desperate and combative tendencies just below the surface. Plus, it's hard to take this character too seriously. He wears a snakeskin jacket, sings Elvis, and says off-the-wall things like "I had a boner with a capital O!" He does an excellent job leading you through this story filled with sex, violence, chaos, and emotion.
But Lynch is the one that will make or break this one for you. He fuses the surreal with the chaotic. He gives glimpses of humanity amongst the darkest monstrosities. He is the Wizard at intertwining the tender with the fierce, the stunning with the erotic, the funny with the sad. There are lots of impressive visuals that may entertain and confuse you. It's always a fun challenge to decipher his illusions. January 2, 2008

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