David Lynch: The Art Life

Some of the more obtuse and mystifying elements of his work stem from direct memories filtered through his hallucinatory imagination.

Is there a more rewarding way of spending 90 minutes than watching Lynch putter, reminisce, and work on a sculpture? Maybe, but you'd need to give Lynch the budget to produce another feature to find out.

Lynch's art is filled with frightening images, but there's nothing scarier in his work than a father's wrath, whether it's expressed in rape, murder, or just the silent shake of a head.

For some viewers, it will be more than they want to know, but for Lynch's many partisans, it's required watching.

For Lynch - who hasn't made a feature since 2006's "Inland Empire" - the look back is clearly edifying, as you can feel him reflecting upon his journey in between long drags on his cigarettes.

No one else weighs in on Lynch here - it's all him, all the time. And, although chatty, he's not the warmest or most engaging presence. Still, Lynch devotees should dig this respectful, offbeat portrait.

A welcome reminder that the most exciting works of art can come from somewhere elusive and instinctual, or they may just be about what it's like to live in Philadelphia.

In the end... what The Art Life delivers is a fascinating portrait of a man who seems to approach his art as equal parts craftsman and esthete, who taps into his subconscious but also loves getting his hands dirty.

This moving painting is a moving portrait of the artist as a young man, and fans of Lynch should not miss it.

The details are revelatory, but, aping Lynch's own directorial style, so is the mood.

explores yet another facet of a fascinating creative person.

An outstanding, lyrical documentary that has American director David Lynch recounting and reflecting about his early life as an artist before the muse of cinema took hold.