I Though I was Getting a Twix not a WTF!
Hall Baltimore (Val Kilmer) was once a big thing in the literally world but he has slid down the ladder so far that when he arrives in the town of Swan Valley on the latest leg of his book singing tour he finds himself in the corner of a hardware store where only Sheriff Bobby LaGrange (Bruce Dern) seems to know who he is. In fact LaGrange seems to be the only one happy to see him as he says the town is the home of unsolved mysteries and murders which he might be interested in. As Hal ends up hanging around he gets drawn in to the town's mysteries involving missing children which may actually have some connection to him.
It is said the "Twixt" was inspired by a dream which writer and director Francis Ford Coppola had one night, all I can say is that I am sure glad I don't have his mind as I would likely go insane. It is also said that Coppola at one time had this idea that he would edit the movie live when ever it was shown but turned out impractical so created one version of the movie with elements from each permutation of the story. Not only does that sound ambitious but it also tossed up major warning signs that this movie would be all over the place if it has so many story permutations.
Now on the surface "Twixt" takes us down this route in to the dreams of Hall as he ends up walking through the small town where he meets a girl called V., sees mysterious things going on involving children at the now abandoned hotel and then meets the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. Then we have things mixing up as reality and dreams start to cross over as Hall pops sleeping tablets to try and return to his dreams. But you begin to wonder whether or not "Twixt" is a movie with a story but more a look in to Coppola's creative side and is almost a personal look into his rambling mind and visions rather than really about a writer and a mystery as it is all over the place.
The trouble is that "Twixt" is to me Coppola trying to do David Lynch and his take on the quirky small town set up, sort of "Twin Peaks". But not only does that not appeal to me Coppola doesn't have the grip of the quirky in the way that Lynch has. Not only that it seems that once again Coppola has found himself trying out new technology on "Twixt" and ending up over doing things to the point that at times the movie looks unnatural and more of an experiment.
There is of course a collection of familiar actors with Val Kilmer leading the movie and to be honest looks like he is morphing in to Beau Bridges. Kilmer does his best and there is some amusement to be had in the casting of Kilmer's ex wife Joanne Whalley as his bitter wife who he video chats with online but none of the characters or the acting is memorable.
What this all boils down to is that "Twixt" was not for me and that is partly due to it being one of those quirky all over the place movies but also because it seems more like Coppola get his thoughts in to a movie in an experimental fashion which doesn't come across as that entertaining.
