Mulholland Dr.
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Movie Reviews of Mulholland Dr.
Movie Review: No Hay Banda - David Lynch's masterpiece labyrinth!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had heard through the grapevine that Mulholland Drive was absolutely spectacular. The Cannes Film Festival was raving about it, and well, something made me take a ride to buy this DVD. I had never seen it before, and other than Dan Hedaya, I didn't really know any of the names (I saw this before I saw The Ring). I wasn't really familiar with David Lynch's work before. So I threw the DVD in with an open mind, and was completely amazed for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
I can't really even give a plot description other than this, and even the description on the back of the DVD is incredibly vague and somewhat misleading. Basically, a woman (Laura Elena Harding) who we come to know as "Rita" (although, she acquired this from a Rita Hayworth poster), was in a rather serious accident, and came out unscathed, other than having amnesia, and escapes to a house on Sunset, where the occupant seems to be leaving to go somewhere. Enter Betty (Naomi Watts), as it seems that she will be able to use this house while she's trying to make her career in acting. Also in the mix is a mildly successful director, named Adam, who is being controlled by an agency to cast a certain girl in his new movie. Rita and Betty strike up a friendship which evolves into passion until everything unravels, and we're in a different universe. That's pretty much the best way I can describe it, without giving everything away.
Now, I'm not usually one to speak omnisciently about how one might feel watching this amazing film, but in this case, I think it's viable. You're going to throw this in, and for the first 105 minutes, you're going to be bewildered. Nothing seems to make sense, and everything is just a wee bit melodramatic. Everything will seem disconnected, and meaningless. And then the last 45 minutes will come, and you'll be even more confused, unless you have a real acute sense of attention, and miraculous understanding. Maybe this seems like I'm straying you away
But here's the thing, and trust me when I say this. Every scene is there for a reason. The way people act, behave, and socialize is all very important, along with everyone's lifestyles. The true genius here is in how it's all put together, how the director deliberately fools you into thinking that everything is absolutely meaningless and disconnected, and you may wonder why you wasted your time. I was too determined to figure out what was going on to give up on this movie, and man, it just opens up a whole new line of thinking.
If you want something that will tickle your brain, so you can stray away from Spiderman, and all these commercially-fond movies, then I definitely recommend this, because your brain will have to be on full to fully absorb everything this film has to offer. Naomi Watts delivers an Oscar-worthy performance here. Not recommended to anyone under 18 (it is Rated R), for sexual themes, and full nudity. Keep an open mind throughout, and remember that everything you see will have its explanation. You just have to find it.
Movie Review: Some more points about this amazing film
Summary: 5 Stars
In the reviews I've browsed here, a lot of viewers have come up with fine stuff about this film, and gone far to explain its weird grasp on people, at least on viewers adventurous and patient enough to deal with it. Not surprising that fans are obsessive about it; it's haunting. Maybe uncanny is a better word. I wanted to add a few points to the ongoing discussion.The atmospheric shooting is splendid as many observe below, but there's another subtlety throughout, unless my memory's playing tricks: when the two women are together, even standing beside each other, Diane looks more or less real while Rita looks unreal, the details of her features hard to grasp. I don't know if that's done with makeup, lighing, computers, or what.
In movies like "Belle du Jour" and "Persona" which are partly dreams, the directors give us at least a signal to tell us what's real and what isn't. If I remember right, in Belle a cat meows every time Deneuve has one of her fantasies. Persona shows us Nurse Alma going to sleep and waking up--but later Bergman deliberately witholds those cues.
The thing about Mulholland Drive is, there's no overt cue at all that most of the film is Diane's dream---we can only understand that in retrospect. In other words, we have to wait till near the end to hear "Wake up, little lady." In retrospect, then, we can understand the surreal intensification of the colors, and the way the apparent realism starts to disintegrate in the theater scene: Lynch is preparing us for the shock of finding it's all been a dream.
I have to wonder, though, if the last part of the movie is entirely real either, or more a matter of waking up from one dream into another. After all, at the engagement party we see the nameless Cowboy walking past in the background. To me that says: this is the real Diane, the real situation, but it's still a dream. For my money, the whole movie is a flash in Diane's mind at the moment of... Well, I won't spoil that at least.
In fact the thing that most moved me about this film was the human story. I'd never thought of Lynch as caring all that much about his characters, but here he does. In her dream Diane is an innocent ingenue, starry-eyed at Hollywood, a natural genius as an actress, astounded and transformed by her unexpected love for another woman. The real Diane is a hard-bitten, strung-out, murderous lesbian and a failed actress. And in Diane's dream if not in reality, her lover survives the murder attempt on Mulholland Drive---and Diane is her savior rather than her killer. Naomi Watts is justly celebrated for what she did with that role. It's overwhelming.
I've only seen it, oh, three or four times. I crave more. For a while it seemed to be running on the Mystery channel every other night. Probably a good idea. I used to feel Lynch was a bit too much into weirdness for the sake of weirdness--see "Eraserhead." Here he's stranger than ever, but every bit of it has a point, contributes to the unfolding of a real human tragedy however bizarre. If Lynch can build on this, he'll be one of the very greats.
Movie Review: Suspenseful, Visceral, Heartbreaking, Repeated Viewings Required
Summary: 5 Stars
*spoilers*
Taken conventionally, the first 2/3rd of Mulholland Drive tells a compelling (albeit fractured) tale of murder, sex, amnesia, Hollywood corruption, and mistaken identity. Then the last 1/3 flips over on itself...Characters change, and the plot seemingly exists in an alternate universe. The one complaint (I'm not even sure it can be considered a legitimate flaw) is that the true power of Mulholland Drive (which is only partially the compelling murder-mystery stuff) won't make any sense until you know the twist, becasue the twist informs everything that came before it, and logically and emotionally ties everything together. Because of this, the film MUST be seen at least twice...
So what is the surprise? Everything in the first 2/3rds is a dream. Before that sounds lame, I can honestly say that Muholland Drive is unlike any other film I've ever seen. Why? Because it uses dreams to explore a character by inhabiting their psyche completely, telling a story from the inside out. Everything you see in the first 2/3rds exists within the unconscious of Diane Selwyn (Naomi Watts). Thus every little weird turn of event, every erotic encounter, every nightarmish scenario sheds light on who she is, her aspirations, and her fears. The 3rd of the film shows reality as it actually exists and thus correlates the associations Diane's dreaming brain makes with the reality of her miserable, tormented existence. Even the illogical moments of the film make sense within the logic that it was dreamt and associated with something in Diane's actual life.
That is where the beauty and power of the film lies. We see inside a character so completely. It's an almost frighteningly intimate filmgoing experience at times, especially as Diane is repeatedly humiliated in the third act. And the adventurous joy of the first act is imbued with a tender sense of melancholy as it is a doomed fantasy of a happiness that can never exist. Lynch's template can take him anywhere, and thus he goes everywhere. Mulholland Drive is a meditation on dreams, on the Hollywood machine that chews and spits out wanna-be starlets, and a profoundly jealous and disturbed personality.
As for the performances...You've all heard how good Naomi Watts is in this film. I can assure you that the praise is justified and more. Like Lynch, her performance goes anywhere and everywhere, to the depths of despair to triumphant moments of one's greatest narcissistic realization, to...you fill in the blank. It's an outstanding, phenomenal performance. Laura Harring is great too, but in a more conventional way. Her amnesiac Rita makes an appealing femme fatale, but because Rita/Camilla only exists within Diane's warped psyche, this is really not a character exploration as in-depth as Watts'. Still, a damn fine performance.
Upon repeated viewings, Mulholland Drive reveals itself to be a pitch-perfect masterpiece. From the concept to the performances, Mulholland Drive is a phenomenal movie.
Movie Review: Whether you "get it" or not, this movie is worth the ride!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not going to give away the plot details of the story like so many other reviewers have done here because I honestly feel that doing so will only compromise the artistry and impact of this film. But I have to say that I am completely flabbergasted by how many people did not get this movie! So many of today's movies want to be so blatantly obvious, and force their linear stories down our throats. I'm so tired of watching predictable plots that have neither substance nor appeal. And what makes me even crazier is that most of the studios, and worse yet many directors (and some actors) are convinced that this is what we all want! They think we're all babies that need to be spoon-fed a story in excruciating detail, instead of letting us connect-the-dots on our own! Then along comes this obscure little movie that I hardly knew anything about. I expected it to be pretty much the same as all the rest of those boring movies. Boy was I in for a surprise! All at once I get thrown into this abstract dream sequence that keeps me transfixed from beginning to end. So much so, that I couldn't sleep and I had to watch the movie again to try to fit the pieces together. That same night I had a long weird dream of my own. And I was suddenly reminded that our own dreams don't always make much sense either. Until we take a closer look. Well, then the whole movie finally made sense to me! In this movie David Lynch shows us how every subtle detail of our lives can wander into our sub-conscious. The people in our lives, as well as those on the periphery. The strangers that we see, but don't really notice. The stories we hear. Or the conversations that we accidentally (or purposely) eavesdrop. Our hopes and expectations, our disappointments, our fantasies can all appear in our dreams as some sort of twisted tale that winds in and out of our deepest thoughts, our most secret feelings, and even our gritty reality. Everything we know about ourselves, and even that which we cannot or will not admit to ourselves can be stolen from our sub-conscious mind and somehow wind up in our most vivid dreams. So for those of you who didn't get this movie, open your eyes! For every question that you may have about this movie, the answer is right there within the movie. The director leaves clues everywhere! If you would just take a closer look. David Lynch practically spoon-feeds us all of the details - just not in such a blatantly obvious way. He did what no other director is willing to do? He makes us work out the story for ourselves...with our own insights and interpretations. And I find that to be the best part of this movie...the fact that the director forces me to be a participant! Finally, I get to be the lead detective in the story! Watch this movie again and again. It gets better every time! And you will "get it" at some point. And even if you don't...oh, what a beautiful and intriguing ride it is! Laura Harring is astonishing and mesmerizing as the mysterious damsel/femme fatale! And Naomi Watts is absolutely unforgettable!Movie Review: This is so much more than no comprehendo
Summary: 5 Stars
I've decided that this is my favorite Lynch film, but it is an aquired taste nonetheless. I saw this film several times when it was in theaters and a couple more since it was released on DVD. I really don't care about the whole thing about the blurring of Laura Herring's private area (David Lynch even admitted he did that on purpose to prevent [people] from exploiting it) or the whole one chapter DVD thing. Mr. Lynch is demanding you to watch the film in its entirety. What's so bad about that? I was actually ANGRY when Lynch got Oscar nominated. Only then would an ununderstanding mainstream actually watch this film, only to gripe about they didn't "get it." I would insist that the serious film-watcher not listen to anything those people have to say. I was also very disappointed when I heard that this wasn't going to be a television show since I had loved "Twin Peaks" so much, but Lynch is a cinema person. Network television just doesn't deserve his talents. I still hoped he would release the pilot in some fashion. Then I heard he won Best Director at Cannes. I wondered what the lovely was going on. As it turned out, the project turned out to be a surrealist gem! I think most of it makes sense. I've tried explaining what I think the "meaning" is, but not many people will listen b/c I guess more people want to pay attention to [stuff] like "Zoolander" or "Panic Room." I've heard every theory from the film is just a ... meditation on how modern Hollywood is the destruction of Zen to the whole thing is actually taking place in the 1950's and is the realization of the film that the director is casting. Whatever the "real" meaning, I think the whole thing is perfect! The music and cinematography is GORGEOUS and deserves EVERY AWARD in the the book! It is definitely Lynch's sexiest with beautiful locations, occasional Spanish language and lovely female physiques on display everywhere. It certainly surpasses the boredom that "Lost Highway," "Eraserhead," and "Dune" conveyed and the love theme is stronger than the ones in "Blue Velvet" and "Wild At Heart." I'm not quite sure if this is better than "Elephant Man," and "Straight Story," but they don't count since those were TRUE stories. "Mulholland Dr." seems to be total surrealism with realistic moral messages involving obsession, unrealistic dreams and mortality. There is a lingering grim sadness floating throughout the narrative, particularly in the second part (probably b/c of how ABC treated Lynch after he delivered the pilot). I'm really not quite sure what to make of that stupid blue key or whatever it is supposed to "open up," and the ending IS just a tad too hokey with the loss-of-innocence and embracing-of-the-abyss metaphors for my tastes. But what the film did for me was open up the possibilities of cinema (independent or mainstream) and suggested that imagination does actually exist and is necessary for survival even in this day and age. Naomi and Laura were really great too, especially in bed (tee hee)! You go Lynch!