If you didn't catch it in theaters (and who can blame you really given the sorry state of distribution in this country for fringe films) you'll finally be able to see why Nick thought it was last year's best American film, you'll see why I strayed from Oscar's consensus Best Actress list to include Laura Dern, and you'll see what "the face" (Film Bitch 'Best Scene' nominee) refers to. Though on this last point -- oh hell on all of these points, you might not see at all. Glenn @ Stale Popcorn who recently saw the film still had to ask me which scene I meant. I thought it would be obvious but his question and his guesswork brought other images from the film springing back to life in my mind. Lynch movies are liquid like that, filling up whatever empty space they rush into. It's a weird but unmissable movie ... just like the rest of Lynch's oeuvre.When I saw INLAND EMPIRE last December @ the IFC center (along w/ The Boyfriend and JA), Lynch regular Justin Theroux was present for a Q&A after the movie. He asked the crowd not to ask him what the movie meant but sure enough... within a couple of questions a hand went up "But what do you think the movie means?" sigh
Nevertheless the actor was highly agreeable even in response to the dumbest questions (somebody actually asked him about his eyebrows) and he was gorgeous in an extremely casual 'I'm just watching the movie with you' kind of way. He spoke honestly about his first and second reactions to the film (different) and likened the film to the non narrative pleasure of music if I recall correctly... though the memory of the night is fuzzy after Laura Dern frightened me with The Face™.
Justin Theroux is, as a hottie, not for everyone. That's OK: more for me. I've always been partial to extremely angular beauties. With Mr. Theroux the angularity doesn't stop with the jawline and cheekbones. It parties with the lively assymetrical eyebrows and then, still restless, shoots straight up into the sharp angles of his hair (it's easy to see why big haired Lynch favors him as a surrogate) and down through the sinewy body. The angles are having too much fun to quit with just the face.
Oh, I almost forgot. Justin played a director in Mulholland Drive and now he's playing one in real life, too. His first film Dedication (starring Billy Crudup, Mandy Moore, Tom Wilkinson, Dianne Wiest, Bobby Canavale and Amy Sedaris) opens next week. Here's the trailer.Suggested viewing: gratituous shots of Theroux @ MNPP * 100 INLAND EMPIRE inspired confused faces from Laura Dern @ FourFour * Lots of news and pics @ Justin Theroux Online Suggested INLAND EMPIRE reads: mainly movies * Muckworld * Slant 2006 Top Ten * IFC Blog *
