Your Name Here

In a way, I hate to be the first to review this film. I had high hopes for it.

I am a Phillip K. Dick freak, and have been since the days when we had to wait with 'bated breath for the next book. So the idea of a film about multiple realities, loosely based upon the multiple realities of PKD's life, appealed to me. So did the idea that the unstuck-from-reality writer in question was to be played by Bill Pullman; I'm a fan of his work. So when this film showed up before its general release here at the Sitges Film Festival, I just had to go.

And although I can see this film becoming somewhat of a cult classic, I have to admit to being underwhelmed.

The problem with Your Name Here is that it's a film that jumps about in multiple realities but which fails to sell *any* of them to us as realities.

This is in stark contrast to the stories -- and the life -- of the man whose works -- and life -- inspired this movie. Phillip jumped from reality to reality in his writing, taking us readers with him as he leapt. But no matter where he landed, it was a *real* reality, something we could believe in and adjust to as quickly as we had adjusted to the previous reality.

That's what this film lacked for me. No matter where we jumped, and into what reality, none of them felt real.

Ignore the other reviewers on this page. They are bias Philip K. Dick nerds who are too stuck on Dick's writing to review the movie at hand. The fact is, this is NOT a movie about Philip K. Dick. Yes, the main character is inspired by Dick. But the film is not trying to emulate the science fiction writer. There is a moment in the film that is a direct homage to one of Jean-Luc Godard's obscurer works. This film is a warped comedy. It is satirizing the life of writers like Dick.

The goal of Cronenberg's NAKED LUNCH was to portray William S. Burrough's life by evoking his works, the goal of Wilder's film is to portray the absurdity of the life of a Hollywood writer. In that sense, the film has more in common with Billy Wilder's SUNSET BOULEVARD, or Lynch's MULHOLLAND DRIVE.

This film deserves to be seen. It deserves a DVD/VOD release. But nowadays, that rarely happens for films like this unless the makers self-distribute. I hope this film gets out there soon, and people are able to see it.

• Domenic Migliore