Required Viewing: No End in Sight

Charles Ferguson's documentary No End in Sight details the gross incompetence pervading the management of the Iraq war by the Bush administration. It's a sobering account, but one that I think everyone should see. This is, after all, our government, and we should be informed as to what can happen when we don't keep a watchful eye.

Writer/director/producer Ferguson is not a filmmaker or journalist by trade. He is an MIT educated political scientist, and has been a consultant to the White House and the Pentagon, among others. He was originally a supporter of the war. In other words, he is no Michael Moore.

Nor are his interview subjects left-wing activists, anti-war types, or "Bush haters". They are people directly involved with the Administration and the war, including military and civilian leaders on the ground in Iraq, career analysts, and officials as high up as former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

The picture these people paint is staggering in what it reveals about the administration's naivete, incompetence, fantastic beliefs, and above all, an unwillingness to even hear anything that didn't fit into its narrow, impossible vision. Nothing is really new, but the presentation, the credibility of the interviewees, and the lack of sensationalism make for a comprehensive account of the myriad (and avoidable) errors perpetrated by Bush and co., which is simply stunning in the breadth of the consequences.

The film's assertion that this debacle of a war was pursued by a tiny group of policy makers (which may or may not have included the president), with no military experience, shunning the advice of those who did, is deeply disheartening. It's almost impossible to comprehend the damage done by a few ill-informed, ideologically driven people. Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith and Condoleezza Rice have seriously undermined democracy, rule of law, and national security, and the consequences of their (and our) misadventure in Iraq will be felt for a long time.

Inland Empire: A Masterpiece

"A Woman in Trouble". That's the tagline for Inland Empire, and all writer/director David Lynch would say about the movie during production. Lynch is famous for saying little about his bizarrely complex creations. He feels viewers should be left alone to figure it out for themselves. Boy, do we have our work cut out for us here.

To say what this movie is "about" would be to mislead. This movie can be experienced on many levels; the one to start with is the raw, emotional one.

Art exists, at least in part, to communicate emotions that can't be articulated. The images and raw power of this film communicate something deep that goes beyond words. It's often terrifying, but always moving.

Music, as always, is important. Rather than rely on longtime collaborator Angelo Badalamenti, Lynch instead chooses music from Polish composer Krzysztov Penderecki (many scenes take place in Poland, with Polish actors, speaking Polish). The soundtrack is rounded out by Lynch's typically impeccable popular choices.

The story, such as it is, focusses on Nikki Grace, an actress playing the part of Sue Blue in director Kingsley's (Jeremy Irons) new movie. Justin Theroux plays co-lead Devon, who in turn plays Billy. The line between character and actor, fact and fiction blurs, and Nikki/Sue is in for a ride, along with the audience.

David Lynch has always dealt in the surreal, and this film is the epitome (so far) of his exploration of this aesthetic. The most blatant example is a "sitcom" involving people wearing rabbit heads and speaking in non-sequiters (former Lynch collaborators Laura Harring and Naomi Watts , along with Scott Coffey provide voices).

What else can be said? This movie exists on so many levels simultaneously, reflected in the characters' experience of multiple times at once, the blurring of actor and character, almost Joycean in its multiple levels and profound character representations. This is a film to be experienced, not watched, and multilple times.

And what of Laura Dern (the "Woman in Trouble")? A talented actor throughout her career, this is her tour de force. If she does not get an Oscar nomination for this role, it will be a crime. Utterly brilliant, a perfect creation of conceiver (Lynch), and performer (Dern).

This movie is probably not for everyone. There are many disturbing elements, and let's face it; three hours of wondering what the heck is going on may not be everyone's idea of a good time. But for those who take the plunge, a unique and rewarding experience awaits.

Still not convinced? Check out my man Roger Ebert. Keep in mind, he hasn't always been a Lynch fan.