Film Review: David Lynch: The Art Life

“David, I Don’t Think You Should Ever Have Children…”

Eraserhead. Blue Velvet. Twin Peaks. Mulholland Drive. Inland Empire. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the one and only David Lynch is hands down my personal favourite filmmaker of all time, a man who knows no boundaries when it comes to the creation of cinema and a director who continues to baffle, amaze and wonder even to this day, with the return of Twin Peaks currently gracing our screens and being as surreal and beautifully constructed as ever. With that in mind, the chance to see David Lynch: The Art Life can only be classed as a “no-brainer”, a documentary constructed by the triage of Neergaard-Holm, Barnes and Nguyen, and a film which documents impressively the early stages of Lynch’s life, beginning with his upbringing in the Western state of Montana through to his breakthrough love of artistic freedom and concluding just before the release of the surrealist 1977 classic Eraserhead. 

Narrated completely by Lynch himself, The Art Life combines an awfully extravagant array of elements in order to gather an effective understanding of what it was like to be a young, doe-eyed, expressive Lynch, highlighting the extraordinary and wholly eclectic catalogue of Lynch’s penchant for surrealist art and and adding context to its’ foundations by channelling stories which seem to have crafted the entire back catalogue of Lynch’s propulsion onto cinema. Whether it be a tale of a clucking, mentally ill woman on his street or the first sight of natural, naked beauty, Lynch’s fundamental and wholly natural ability as a storyteller is really what makes the alluring appeal of his presence so impressive and when up against the challenge of holding the camera on just himself for ninety minutes, Lynch inevitably manages to pull it off. Whilst the film does lull in places, with the normality of Lynch’s life never really holding its own when contrasted with the nightmarish images that haunt particular scenes of the documentary, The Art Life is an interesting portrayal of one man’s quest onto cinema and whilst Lynch himself is never going to be for everyone, the documentary is clearly made for those who truly adore him. Myself included.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

The Man Who Rocked the World

If ever there were a band to ruffle the norm of the music industry during the course of the 20th century then Nirvana were arguably the most successful and highly publicised act to do so during the 1990’s, where the pop-rock music of the decade previous began to seem tiresome and self-indulgent in the face of Cobain and co.’s fearful rawness and eagerness to proclaim their hate for not only teenage lifestyle in the USA, but almost everything that encapsulated 1990’s America at that time. What we have with Montage of Heck is the first official documentary on the tragically short life of Cobain, which intertwines footage and documents belonging to Cobain, his family and his friends with epiphany-like dream sequences in an attempt to highlight the troubled nature of one of musics’ most beloved, iconic, and unforgettable artists of all time. The question is, does it work? Oh yes, it really does.

The fundamental issue that came to mind before watching Montage of Heck was whether it would be successful in encapsulating both the Nirvana fan-base and the lay movie-goer who although may be aware of Nirvana and their influence in musical history, may not be as engaged as Nirvana fans may be in a documentary solely interested in the life of Kurt Cobain. From the viewpoint of someone who is a Nirvana fan, I would have to say Montage of Heck succeeds in providing enough interest to suitably entertain both ends of the spectrum, with its’ detailed and sometimes solemn interviews and insights being effectively juxtaposed with the sheer madness of live Nirvana performances, showcasing how at the time, their refreshing punk-rock style was something sorely missing in the forefront of the musical industry.

The documentary goes right through from the early days of the Cobain family up to Nirvana’s wonderful performance on MTV Unplugged, detailing the many issues and problems surrounding Kurt throughout his lifetime including a misguided youth, the influence of drugs, and finally his marriage to Courtney Love. If ever there was a documentary so in love yet shocked by its’ subject matter, Montage of Heck would definitely be it, with the film not shying away from both the calmness and carnage of Cobain’s life, something of which was hard, yet needed to be seen in order for the documentary to sway away from being classed as a full frontal homage to the greatness of Kurt. By showcasing the darker, seedier side of the Cobain lifestyle, the documentary expands beyond the one-sided nature it could have been, and by doing so, makes the definitive conclusion of Kurt’s suicide even harder to take.

Montage of Heck truly succeeds in bringing the life of one of music’s most influential and iconic rock stars to the big screen in a dark and uncompromising fashion, showcasing the rise and fall of Nirvana and the issues that had arisen in Kurt’s life prior to his suicide. This year marked the 21st anniversary of such a tragic event and Montage of Heck proves to be a fitting and emotional tribute to a musical artist lost at an age much too young. In a time where music is questionable to say the least, Cobain solidified Nirvana into rock and roll history, emphasised by the release of this documentary where Kurt and his music are needed as much now as they were within the late 20th century. RIP.

Overall Score: 9/10