Mulholland Dr. (2001)

Pandora couldn't resist opening the forbidden box containing all the delusions of mankind, and let's just say David Lynch, in Mulholland Drive, indulges a similar impulse. Employing a familiar film noir atmosphere to unravel, as he coyly puts it, "a love story in the city of dreams," Lynch establishes a foreboding but playful narrative in the film's first half before subsuming all of Los Angeles and its corrupt ambitions into his voyeuristic universe of desire. Identities exchange, amnesia proliferates, and nightmare visions are induced, but not before we've become enthralled by the film's two main characters: the dazed and sullen femme fatale, Rita (Laura Elena Harring), and the pert blonde just-arrived from Ontario (played exquisitely by Naomi Watts) who decides to help Rita regain her memory. Triggered by a rapturous Spanish-language version of Roy Orbison's "Crying," Lynch's best film since Blue Velvet splits glowingly into two equally compelling parts. --Fionn Meade Amazon.com

One of the best of All-time! 10 NOT 5 stars !!

This should be recognized as one of the greatest works of Art ever to be committed to celluloid. Lynch is able to plumb deeply into the sub-conscious of all of us and construct a story which resonates on a primal, visceral, instinctive, and altogether natural level. Lynch shows how ultimate truth is revealed in dreams despite our feeble attempts to relegate our fears, insecurities and guilt to our subconscious during our waking hours. In dreams, all of our emotions and thoughts are fleshed out for better or for worse. Our dreams can amuse us when we do good, and terrify us when we do evil! Perhaps good and evil are absolute concepts after all, and are non-negotiable!?

While the film is highly structured and self-explanatory (for those who view it repeatedly and carefully), like most of Lynch's work, and particularly "Inland Empire," this film is so beautifully crafted that it can be appreciated solely on an aesthetic level, but ideally on an intellectual one as well.

MD is haunting, brilliant, and the work of a genius. Just when I was losing interest in superficial and banal modern film-making, David has given us a real diamond in the rough!

P.S - If you don't like challenging films which make you think and concentrate, or if your idea of a great film is about sub-woofers and explosions, avoid this at all costs. If you are amazed at human psychology and drama, don't miss this!

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Want to know who the scary, dirty Bum is?

Well, here is my take at least:

Most obviously, he is an element of her dream. All of the characters that inhabit her dream are people Diane has met or seen briefly during her waking state. Some are significant characters and some are not. Ever dream about the most absurd or trivial things yourself? For instance, notice the mafioso type at the party at the end of the movie who Diane only briefly notices as she is wiping away tears? He may have been a significant part of her life, or he may have just been someone who caused her momentary embarrassment. Here is the genius of Lynch. He is demonstrating that nothing is too trivial or absurd that cannot be dreamt about. This is why Dianne constructs the poolman farce in her dream after only a brief mention of him by Camilla's fiancé.

The dirty and horrifying bum, who is able to scare us with his abrupt appearance can represent the subconscious guilt that Diane is suffering through. He is retribution personified, of having to pay for her crimes, through mental anguish. The guy who Diane only briefly glimpses in Winkies when she is negotiating with the hitman, gives the suspenseful anecdote of "the guy who is always there." At the brief moment when Diane sees him staring at her in Winkies, she no doubt felt fear and anxiety about planning Camilla's death, or being discovered, and therefore even seemingly innocent glances take on a more suspicious nature. It is no accident that the unnamed guy standing at the bar morphs into a character in her dream that is obsessed and overcome with fear. Our dreams really do mix things up.

The bum can also be an archetype of the devil who metaphorically at least, dwells in places such as "sin city" or "tinseltown," where men lose their souls for wanting it all at any cost. These are the places where men sell their souls. Where they are promised the world, but are deceived by the great serpent and deceiver of old; the arche-nemesis of humanity.

Like any true art, Lynch allows multiple interpretations.. July 9, 2008

Not just one of Lynch's best, but one of the best movies I've ever seen.

When Mulholland Drive first starts, you may think that Lynch is making a pretty normal movie. His style is pretty much the same but the plotline is managing to remain pretty linear (for a mystery film). Slowly, but surely, we begin to slip down the rabbit hole, and things get strange. The performances are great, especially Naomi Watts. This is one of those movies where it keeps getting better scene after scene, and you have to see it again and again. What truly makes this movie great is the numerous interpretations that can be realized viewing after viewing, and the fact that Lynch is such a master, none of your interpretations can be discounted. Go see this movie. Go buy this movie. This is a definate must have. July 2, 2008

No hay malo in this film

Just through Eraserhead and Blue Velvet, David Lynch had proven himself to be the oddest, and one of the most daring filmmakers out there; and also one of my favorites. Mulholland Drive emotionally gripped me more than any Lynch film since Blue Velvet, and it still grips me more than most films today.

First of all, the script is among the deepest I've ever seen. This is one of the only films I know of where every single person who's seen it had a different interpretation. I of course have one, but I'll not explain too much; but the sheer fact of this is just mere proof that this is a film you have to see to believe; and most of the stuff you do try to believe you might just find was not a reality and was just a trip into one's mind. Yes, this film truly is, at times, a trip into the mind, dreams, and desperate desires of one woman. There are several different things this woman can be called; I tend to view her as just human with the same desires as any other (but my views of the film definitely do not stop there).

To truly understand this film, you have to pay attention to everything; the location, the words, the context of words, the arrangement of speech, the arrangement of characters, the relationships of characters (especially between the two leading women and their relationships with others), the reasoning behind characters' acts, even the lighting, and even the smallest detail or object to the side of the screen; in this film, everything is truly important to everything else. You also must know quite a bit about actors and definitely some knowledge on classic hollywood. In this paragraph alone, David Lynch has created a true masterpiece.

I was very disappointed in the 2001 Oscars when it came to the nominations; this film got a sole nomination for Best Director. And while Lynch was certainly deserving of that, this film should've also been nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Actress for Naomi Watts (her Oscar nominated work in 21 Grams doesn't even touch her work here). Oh well then. June 23, 2008

Blue box explained

It is startling that after 7 years no one really figured out what this movie is all about. If for any reason you have not watched this movie then please watch it first and then read my explanation. Spoilers coming:

Movie is about last days of Marilyn Monroe and her tragic death in 1962. Lynch originally intended to start with her death and go back in the past to explain it similar to Twin Peaks series. Someone powerful (like that midget) didn't like it and series was canceled.

Who is who in this movie?

1. Betty, Diane and Rita are all Marilyn. Betty represents Marilyn in movies (angelic naive look), Diane is real life (paranoid and obsessed) Marilyn, Rita is glamorous movie star Marilyn.

2. Movie "Sylvia North Story" is actually never finished movie "Something's Got to Give".

3. Cowboy is Dean Martin. He had exclusive right of leading lady approval. When Marilyn was fired he said: "No Marilyn, no picture." Remember words from the movie: "This is the girl." Dean Martin was also associated with mafia.

4. Betty is from Deep Rivers, Ontario. Marilyn's first big budget movie that made her a worldwide star was "Niagara" in 1953. Plot of the movie involves Marilyn planning a murder.

5. For role of Rita, Lynch chose Laura Elena Harring, the first Latina to be crowned Miss USA in 1985. Is it coincidence why she takes name Rita? No, because Monroe family was believed to have been Anglo-Spanish in origin. Rita Hayworth was actually Margarita Carmen Cansino, daughter of Spanish flamenco dancer Eduardo Cansino and English/Irish-American Ziegfeld girl Volga Hayworth.

6. When Betty and Rita enter Diane's apartment, Diane is found dead lying on her side just as Marilyn was found in 1962.

7. At the beginning of the movie you can hear someone snorting drugs and then falling to the pillow. Marilyn was declared dead by acute barbiturate poisoning.

8. In the weeks before her death, Marilyn called DOJ where Bobby Kennedy worked eight times. All phone calls from the night that she died are missing. This explains sinister phone calls throughout the movie.

9. Crash scene on Mulholland Drive is very important. It represents collision of glamorous movie star Marilyn full of money and fame with sweet 16 Norma Jeane represented as cheering young girl in the other car. The result is total amnesia. After the crash she takes name Rita (her true Anglo-Spanish origin and real life role model) and remembers the name of Diane Selwyn (real life paranoid and obsessed Marilyn). She also chose blonde wig (Marilyn was not real blonde, she dyed her hair). Glamour movie star Marilyn is lost after the crash.

10. And finally the blue box explained. It relates to famous Blue Book modeling agency. This is where all started. One of Fox's talent scouts noticed her in 1946 and offered a 6-month contract. After Rita opens the box she disappears and Diane wakes up. After remembering how everything started, movie star Marilyn is gone and all that is left is real Marilyn.
Key to the box in the dream sequence is triangular in shape indicating 3 different personalities of Marilyn.

I have watched UK import HD-DVD version with superb DTS-HD MA sound. Chapters are available but not in the menu. Highly recommended movie for all those interested in mysteries and suspense.

June 21, 2008

In Hollywood Dreams... Nothing Is What it Seems

In 2001, David Lynch (director of Dune and creator of Twin Peaks) released a complex mystery film that defied the genre rules and mystified audiences.

The film starred Naomi Watts, in an outstanding performance, as a seemingly naïve and innocent young actress who stumbles upon a car crash victim with amnesia, played by Laura Elena Harring. The two befriend one another and begin to search for clues to the haunted woman's past. Meanwhile a rebellious young director is being told who to recast as the female lead in his next film but when he refuses, strange things begin to happen.

The film unfolds into a delirium of complex schemes, startling eroticism and complete insanity. But it keeps its viewers interested, though it never truly explains itself. Many people have attempted to unravel the film's meaning (there are quite a few interesting theories suggested by other reviewers). Some say that it's about the dream of a psychotic woman on the verge of committing suicide. Others say it's an allegory for the corruptive nature of the Hollywood lifestyle. There have even been some who feel that the whole film is just an epic mindf**k, which wouldn't be that surprising coming from an iconoclast like David Lynch. But what is surprising is that most people will admit that they don't fully understand it, and yet they can't get enough of it. Perhaps its popularity can be attributed to the complex plot, or the brilliant acting, or maybe the raw sesuality of Naomi Watts' performance. Whatever the appeal may be, there's no doubt about it, Mulholland Dr. is a provocative, titillating and mesmerizing trip that you have to experience for yourself. Maybe even more than once. April 28, 2008

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