Mulholland Dr.
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Movie Reviews of Mulholland Dr.
Movie Review: Follow the 10 clues on the DVD sleeve
Summary: 5 Stars
I won't bother to add to the already monolithic body of glowing reviews of this film; I think it is a masterful work, equivalent to and perhaps surpassing "Blue Velvet" in artistic merit. I am writing mostly because many of those who claim that they hated the film because it "doesn't make sense," or loved it even though it is "open to interpretation" may not have taken heed of the clues David Lynch included in the DVD sleeve. They clearly reveal the logic of the film to those who take the requisite time to think them through. My review is essentially one giant "spoiler," so if you haven't seen the film, take heed.
The film most certainly does "make sense" and follows a completely rational and logistically valid plot structure. The film begins with a stylized jitterbug contest behind the opening credits, showing Naomi Watt's character (Diane Selwyn) winning a trip to LA from her native Canada to tryout for a Hollywood production. We then see the suggestion of a sleeping figure (Diane again) in red sheets prior to the start of her dream, which opens with the hypnotic figure of a limosine traveling down a dark road, containing Diane's idealization of her real-life paramour, Camilla Rhodes. In reality, Camilla is Diane's former lesbian lover, who betrayed her by stealing the coveted role in the film Diane unsuccessfully tried out for, and spurned her affections for the director of the film. Diane is so jealous and infuriated that she hires a hitman to kill Camilla; when the two meet to discuss the deal, the hitman says he will leave a blue key on her coffee table to signify that Camilla has been successfully dispatched. The film's dream sequence begins after Diane has received the key, and Diane's fantasies of a happier outcome are manifest in what we see.
In her dream, she is her idealized self, free of insecurities, more innocent and charismatic--nailing her tryout for the film, but explaining "Camilla's" victory by the influence of the mafia ("Camilla" in the dream is replaced by a woman whom the real-life Camilla tauntingly kisses at a party to infuriate Diane). Other characters who represent real-life counterparts also resurface in the dream, in various roles: "Coco," played by Ann Miller, is actually the film director's mother, the man terrified of the ghoul behind Winkie's is an accomplice of Diane's hired hitman, and the mafiosos played by Dan Hedaya and Angelo Badalamenti were other attendees of the humiliating party where Camilla taunts Diane with news of her engagement to the director. In the dream, Diane refashions her hitman as a bungling idiot who botches Camilla's murder, subsequently leaving Camilla helpless with amnesia for who she is or where she came from so that "Betty," Diane's counterpart in the dream, can become her heroine, and have a utopian, romantic love affair with her.
Throughout the dream, omens occur that suggest the truth behind Diane's fantasy; the forboding man behind Winkie's, Lee Grant's wacko Cassandra-character with her warnings of trouble, the Cowboy, and the MC at the late-night Cabaret who insists that all is not as it seems. The blue key becomes expressionistically rendered in the dream, and opens the proverbial Pandora's Box, at which time Diane mysteriously disappears from her own dream, leaving Camilla alone to open the box--and then Lynch imposes a couple of his haunting frame shifts, here done with lighting effects, before the Cowboy enters Diane's bedroom, telling her "it's time to wake up, pretty girl."
Now we see Diane's reality when she awakens, and evidence of her crushing guilt (notice her initial relief when she hallucinates that Camilla has returned from the dead, and her subsequent breakdown when she realizes the truth). Eventually, the gravity of what she has done overwhelms her when she realizes that the police want her for questioning, and the old couple from her dream, whom I presume represent her conscience, are released by the demon behind Winkie's (that is, she loses her sanity). Her demons chase her to her bedroom, where she hysterically grabs a gun from her nightstand, and takes her own life.
Check out Lynch's clues--there's much more to them than what I've included here. He's a master--I don't think he produces a frame of film without agonizing over it for weeks, and I highly doubt someone who produced something as lovingly detailed as this film let any inconsistencies or gaffes slip past him. What a movie this is--I'll never forget it.
Movie Review: Through a glass darkly
Summary: 5 Stars
"Mulholland Drive" is not a typical movie, so I will not write a typical movie review. Herewith, my five personas, while enjoying the "Mulholland Drive" 'experience':1. FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE MOVIE STARTED:
Oh, I wasn't looking forward to this one. Not a fan of Lynch am I. Bored senseless by "Blue Velvet" and "The Elephant Man". Found "Twin Peaks" intriguing, at times stunning, but ultimately vacuous. And the "Straight Story" made me quite sad, but confused me too. Have already planned my escape route out of the theatre, in case boredom sets in before the half hour mark.
2. THE FIRST TWO HOURS:
An over-the-top pretentious opening, that I realize is supposed to be over-the-top and pretentious. A really good start. Ooh, look at that car crash! Lynch captures the power of steel on steel much better than Cronenberg ever could. And now we meet the two girls. Laura Harring (Rita) and Naomi Watts (Betty; she's from Deep River, Ontario, which got a nice chuckle at my Toronto screening) are both sexy, while being two halves of the same coin. The former, dark and mysterious. The latter, light and innocent. They're both great.
Uh-oh. There are a couple of scenes that just don't fit. Who were those two guys at the restaurant? And what the heck did they just see in the back alley? I'll admit this, though: it was terrifically frightening. A viscerally charged moment. And then we get a scene of botched burglary that keeps going wrong. And who the heck are the Castigliane brothers, and what do they have against espresso? The Little Man from "Twin Peaks" has a cameo, just to remind you that you were watching a David Lynch movie. Yeah, like I could ever forget that. So now we're wrapped up in a weird mystery plot, surrounded by a surreal Hollywood (What year is this? 1950? 2001?).
Now for the lesbian scenes. Coolly erotic, although out of place and creepy somehow. I bet this is intentional.
And on we go to Club Silencio. You must have heard about this scene. A master of ceremonies tells us, to our faces, that all we are about to see (and, by association, all we have seen) is pre-recorded, fake, phony. To prove this, a trumpeter comes out to play a few notes, only when the trumpet drops to his side, the music plays on. Ah. And now, out comes Rebekah Del Rio. She's going to sing Roy Orbison's "Crying" in Spanish. Oh my god, this is heartbreaking. And then...(!) I'll not ruin the surprise. Probably my favourite scene from any movie this year. It's supremely appealing on an intellectual *and* an emotional level.
And then the Pandora's box opens, and the movie...
3. THE LAST HALF HOUR:
...gets really weird. I'm trying to keep up. My brain is working overtime. Who is that? Is she still Betty? Is she still Rita? Is this all a dream? An amnesiacal remembrance? The visual style and tone of the first half carries forth, only it's all a lot more sinister and surreal. The narrative falls away, to be replaced by a dream-like state. Full-disclosure: dream-like states in movies always feel like self-indulgence to me. The filmmaker obviously couldn't find a cohesive ending, so they throw random images against the wall hoping they will stick. That's usually my take. Here, for some reason, I was into playing along with Lynch's game. Big time.
Okay, so now the credits are rolling. And it all kind of makes sense, but not really. I think I'll take a walk to clear my head.
4. THE LONG WALK HOME FORM THE THEATRE:
It's starting to crystallize. She was also she, and that was also that, and they were this, and this was that (oh how I wish I could give you the details along with the above sentence; but that would surely spoil your fun). And yet, some things are just too cloudy to forgive.
5. DISSECTING IT WITH MY ROOMMATE:
She had just seen the movie the day before I. We talked for a long while, piecing together the puzzle. Ah! Now I get it. It actually makes a whole lot of sense.
POSTSCRIPT:
Here's my advice. Never think of "Mulholland Drive" as having a standard narrative. It doesn't. Never mind that characters come and go without rhyme or reason (Robert Forster and Dan Hedaya, two fantastic character actors, have two scene and two lines between them!). Try not to think of its genesis as a TV pilot. It never would have worked as an open-ended narrative. It only works thematically, symbolically (I suspect others out there caught the obvious visual reference to Bergman's "Persona"?), and viscerally. And when I say "works", I mean it. This one's a stunner, folks. A pure, cinematic stunner.
Movie Review: "Mulholland Drive" Will Take Your Breathe Away.
Summary: 5 Stars
Mulholland Drive is undoubtedly the best David Lynch film to come out since Blue Velvet and one of the best films ever to come out of independent cinema. I ended up watching this film five times in the theater because it was that addicting. The story was so intriguing and the casting was just perfect. I'm amazed at how well the two unknown actresses had acted in this. They gave amazing oscar-like performances, very much like the acting seen in hollywood films during their heyday. You can find everything in this film including suspense, horror, mystery, drama, comedy, art and erotica.
The whole 1950's vibe in this film really brought back a sense of nostalgia back into Hollywood cinema. It makes movies feel alive again. The setting makes you feel like the movie takes place during the 50's when it actually takes place during the present day. We actually don't know that for sure, Lynch doesn't tell us, it could have taken place during the 50's, who knows? The entire film is actually this freakin twisted. Anyways, the film in itself is great. The film is beautifully shot and the cinematography, especially the lighting and color, is extraordinary. David Lynch's unconventional way of shooting things and telling stories is very much like that of Orsen Welles and Alfred Hitchcock. Like their films, Mulholland Drive is a very visual film with a lot of vivid imagery. This is best displayed during the climactic scene of the story when the whole story changes after a mysterious blue box is unlocked. We find that the main character, Betty, has disappeared and her friend Rita has become unconscious. After the pandoras box is opened, we are brought back to reality and we are introduced to two new characters, Diane and Camilla. The whole dream sequence ends when Diane is awaken by a mysterious cowboy and starts rolling out of bed. We come to realize that Betty/Diane's reality is not as happy as we depicted it to be. We learn that Diane is an actress who exploits Camilla by using Camilla's fame and fortune for her own purposes of breaking into hollywood, but instead she only finds herself falling in love with Camilla along the way. During their affair, Camilla unexpectedly dumps Diane for the director, Adam Kesher, and takes the role that's supposed to be Diane's big break. This leads to Diane's jealousy and frustration in a gut-wrenching masturbating scene. Feeling that she lost everything, she seeks revenge and hires a hitman to kill Camilla. When she finds out that the hit has been made with the presence of a blue key, she kills herself.
The acting in this film is superb especially by Naomi Watts. Naomi Watts' true life story of struggling to get roles and finding her big break in films helped her a lot in portraying this character. This ended up being her big break and she has thrived ever since with 'The Ring,' '21 Grams' and other upcoming films. She shines onscreen especially during a lesbian love scene with actress Laura Harring. It's one of the most erotic love scenes I have ever seen captured on film. Laura Harring and Naomi Watts are stunningly beautiful and the reason alone to watch this. Surprisingly, Lynch's music composer Angelo Badalementi, even makes a rare cameo appearance in this. He is the man who drinks the coffee and spits it out in the scene where Adam Kesher and the casting agents argue about which girl to cast in their film. Other cameo appearances include the great Ann Miller, Robert Forster, Dan Hedaya and Billy Ray Cyrus.
The only flaws I can possibly think of this film having is in the DVD itself. There is no chapter search and no special features other than the theatrical trailer and the cast bio's. David Lynch intended it to be only one long chapter which was a mistake on his part. Another flaw I noticed was an edit in a nude scene. It's the scene where Rita takes off her robe. A part of her body is blurred for about a second. A terrible decision to make since it was unedited on the big screen. David Lynch fans will be disappointed about all this. Hopefully, a new special edition DVD will come out to replace this one with deleted scenes, commentary, interviews and most importantly a chapter search. It's unfair that about ten other countries have already released this as a special edition and the U.S. and Canada has not. Two foreign editions even have double discs full of special features. Why is this? Where is our special edition? Well, someday it will be released. If you want more info go to davidlynch.de, you could probably be lucky and find it on import.
Movie Review: Not for the traditional mindset of a movie watcher
Summary: 5 Stars
It would be hardly an exaggeration to say that half the readers of this movie's reviews have seen the movie already and are seeking answers to the many questions this movie leaves them with! And this should explain to you the main feature of this movie.Movies have always been about presenting a plot to its viewers. The plot pretty much is what the movie is all about. Special effects and actors' performance are just tools to help present the plot, nevertheless the plot is the soul and heart of the movie. Movies provide you the plot on a silver plate along with the silverware. Hence what viewers always expect from a movie is a plot that will entertain either through provoking laughter, fear, amazement, excitement, or a mixture of all those elements.
But not Mulholland Drive! This is not your traditional movie. Viewers seeking an entertaining plot will probably be disappointed because this movie will not give you a plot. What you're given instead is a riddle! If you watch this movie with the traditional mindset mentioned above your shock will grow as you go through the movie and realize that things aren't making sense! And by the end of the movie you'll be thinking "What... is going on!"
This movie challenges you to discover the plot! It is there. You can feel that it's there. The movie is scary to a freaky extent mostly because the plot is hidden and thus the viewers are left alone to deal with the events! You'll fear everybody! You'll fear going around every corner because you truly can't expect what might happen! This plot is not going to be fed to you like a baby. You'll have to look for it like a responsible adult!
The director won't leave you alone though. He'll give you hints and clues all across the movie. But don't expect it to be easy! The hints are smart and are indistinctly available to you even when you least expect them! Thus a number of viewers will feel great frustration by the end of the movie because they weren't able to crack the code, either because they expected the plot to be solved by the director at the end of the movie (just like all the other movies) or because they simply didn't understand the clues.
If after this long introduction you're still expecting to read a synopsis of the plot then you're still maintaining the traditional mindset of a movie watcher. What I'm trying to tell you is that you'll have to find the plot. However, since I wouldn't have bought this movie myself without getting a glimpse of what I should expect to see, I'll give you the following synopsis of what you'll see in the beginning of the movie.
The movie begins with an attempt to kill an attractive lady who seems to be rich. The attempt fails though and instead of killing the woman she's left stranded with amnesia. This woman, who will call herself Rita, breaks into the house of another lady called Betty who is seeking to become a great actress in Hollywood. Betty is very nice and takes care of Rita and helps her in her endeavor to regain the lost memory. Simultaneously, the movie shows us the story of a successful Hollywood director who is resisting Hollywood executives pressuring him into casting a lady they're suggesting for the main role of his movie. And the movie takes off from there.
I give this movie 5 stars because the idea of a hidden plot is very smart and entertaining. The best thing about it is that the entertainment doesn't end when the movie is over. You'll be left with many questions to ponder on maybe for days and you'll want to watch it again and again to make sure that you understood the plot. Buy this movie and you're guaranteed many hours of entertainment and fun. The movie is also very scary! And the fear isn't a result of cheap shots taken at you while you're not ready just like other scary movies. Instead, the fear is present throughout the whole movie even in the supposedly bright moments! It is creepy!
The movie has strong sexual content as well. The actresses are hot and beautiful, and all I can tell you about the sex scenes is that they're unforgettable! Also the acting performance is superb and it delivers the exact results the director intends of the scenes.
In the end, if you want to work your brains hard and watch an extraordinary movie, then buy this movie. If you're expecting a movie to watch and forget about once it's done then you might want to be looking somewhere else.
For those who have seen the movie and still looking for answers, feel free to email me and I'll provide you links for sites that carry the answers to all the questions.
Movie Review: Lynch proves that he is a master of visual poetry.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Mulholland Drive" is a remarkable movie in roughly every way possible. I was impressed when I first saw the movie, but after a couple more viewing, I truly began to appreciate what Lynch has created. I love David Lynch for both his good and his bad films, mostly because he won't compromise. I have yet to see him make a mainstream movie in a bid for cash. "Mulholland Drive" is another one of his many bizarre and semi-coherent movies, and this time, it's a really, really good one.The plot centers on the relationship between two women, Rita, who has amnesia after an attempt on her life, and Betty, who came to Hollywood bright eyed and bushy tailed to be a star. The pair spend a good chunk of the movie playing detective and sneaking around Nancy Drew style in order to try to uncover Rita's identity. About 3/4 through the movie, that entire approach is scrapped, and the rest of the movie is a lot of seemingly random scenes and actions. I'll deal with the plot later on in greater detail.
The acting is fabulous, especially Naomi Watts, going from bubbly pert blonde starlett to emotionally unstable and possessive green-eyed monster (in the Shakespearean sense, not literally). The rest of the cast holds up their ends of the bargain with skill as well, with not a poor performance in the cast.
The music and sound are phenomenal. Lynch is a director who truly understands the subtle nuances of sound in a movie, and he uses that understanding to weild a mastery over this movie's soundtrack that is crucial to the movie itself. The standout in the sound category (coupled with visuals) is the amazing scene in the "Silencio," a bizarre theater that the women visit. The scene marks the point where the movie truly stops making sense in the traditional fashion, but it also marks the point where Lynch expertly and poetically works our emotions. The climax of the Silencio scene (I won't give any details, because it's so amazing) never fails to move me in a way that I have rarely experienced before. I am filled with an overpowering sense of hopelessness and impotence every time the singer . . . well, you know. This is due in no small part to the absolutely gorgeous rendition of "Crying" that the audience is treated to in this scene. Couples with the surreal visuals, this scene alone is worth the ticket price.
Now on to the direction. In case you haven't noticed by now, I love what Lynch does with this film. He effectively combines scenes of comedy, horror, surrealism, drama, sex, and poetry into a single knockout punch of a product. He knows subtlety, and is more subtle in this particular film than most people realize.
I'll now go back to the plot. There are two ways to view this film. The first is as the cinematic manifestation of a bizarre and incomprehensible nightmare that affects you in many ways, but you can't figure out why. It could very well be "that really weird dream you had last night" in cinematic form. You could also try to find the puzzle and solution in the movie, and there are possibilities. If you don't want to spoil the movie, skip to the conclusion now. If you think of the first 3/4 of the movie as Diane's fantasy and dream of her relationship with Camilla, it starts to take shape. This is not to say that the first 3/4 are a dream, that's far too simple. Diane (who is the real character, along with Camilla, Betty and Rita are made up) is driven insane with jealousy and rage by the structure of Hollywood and her lost love with Camilla. Notice how many objects and characters in the last 1/4 of the movie make appearances earlier in her fantasy. Most of the characters are recognizable, but just passing through are "Aunt Ruth," "The Cowboy," and "Camilla". Perhaps Diane created this fantasy to convince herself that she was a good person who did not just pay for the hit on her lover. So what about the key and the box? There is no rational explanation for the key and the box. All we know is that the key was on the table indicating that Camilla was now dead (check the dialogue later with the hitman). The most obvious (and most probable) interpretation is that it's Pandora's Box. Notice that the movie makes it's final turn down the path of darkness when the box is opened. When the box is opened, the illusion is shattered. "It is all a recording."
I wait with baded breath for Lynch's next film. I hope he keeps making stuff like this and "Blue Velvet".