Film & TV

Blanche is all kinds of crazy – almost from the word go. The first real glimpse we get is the hysterical reaction to the loss of the family home. This is the background conflict of the plot and the instigating action of the story that occurs well before the film starts.

This film fits nicely alongside Shaun of the Dead. It’s a sci-fi comedy. But like Shaun of the Dead this is only for a particular audience.

The entire cast is probably around eight people and Sam (Sam Rockwell) is the only one in it for any length of time (read the entire film).

We are thrown in the deep end of this film having no idea of time or place. We don’t even have any idea who the characters are. We know who we should care about though as the lead is arrested on ridiculous charges. Possessing porno – The Sopranos.

We meet Katherine as a child and we immediately know that she is gifted. The way that the community rally around her and her parents is fantastic. 

In a ‘normal’ detective series we are presented with a clue and then the detectives will spend some time trying to ascertain what the relevance of the clue is – and then how it brings us closer to the truth. Twin Peaks does not follow this at all.

Lynch doesn’t keep us waiting long – in the opening scenes there is a disturbing close-up into beetles in the grass.

This is a comedy. It took me a few scenes to realise. It’s just that dry. But when you realise it is perfection. Like laugh-out-loud funny.

I really can’t understand why this is one of the ‘must watch films’ and on lots of top movie lists. The characters are all two dimensional.

Almost instantly you are intrigued – then you’re hooked. The reality of the situations and believability of the performances are fantastic.