Mulholland Drive
David Lynch has long been recognized as one of the most innovative, original American directors in the business. From Eraserhead to Blue Velvet to Twin Peaks to Lost Highway, Lynch has never fallen victims to trends, always pushing forth his unusual, surrealist visions, a trait which has built him a cult following.
In 1999, Lynch surprised in a whole new way, directing the G-rated The Straight Story, which earned critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for lead actor Richard Farnborough. In 2001, he returned with Mulholland Drive, a film that earned him the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar nomination for Best Director. Hardcore fans who were befuddled by Lynch's family friendly turn in Straight Story can breathe ease -- he's returned to bizarro land with the twisty and sometimes confounding noir Mulholland Drive.
The film begins with a nail-biting opening scene in which a limousine carrying "Rita" (Laura Elena Harring) pulls over. "Get out," demands the burly driver and his equally menacing counterpart. But just as Rita is about to be offed, a carload of joyriding teenagers crashes into the back of the limo. A dazed Rita escapes from the scene and slips unnoticed into a Hollywood apartment.
Arriving at the same apartment shortly thereafter is a seemingly naïve blond named Betty (Naomi Watts), who's staying at her aunt's house while pursuing her Hollywood acting dream. When Betty discovers Rita, she assumes that she's her aunt's friend and befriends her. Rita, suffering from amnesia, can't remember who she is or what happened to her, so together they set out to solve this mystery.
Several other intriguing plotlines factor into the story. Most prominent is the tale of a young hotshot Hollywood director, Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux), who finds himself in a bizarre business meeting with scared Hollywood execs flanked by tough guys who report to a midget boss. Suffice it to say that his day goes downhill from there.
Lynch's direction, aided by Peter Deming's amazing cinematography and Angelo Badalamenti's brilliant score, is in peak form. The surreal world Lynch creates has a truly unnerving effect on the viewer, leaving us wondering what new surprises lie just outside the frame. With Lynch, no one knows what to expect, a case proven during a terrifying scene in which Betty and Rita break into an empty apartment in search of clues to Rita's identity.
Another fresh kick comes in seeing two females in the lead roles, and despite being relative unknowns (as is most of the cast), Harring and Watts deliver outstanding performances. Watts, whose previous work includes such forgettable fare as Tank Girl, is particularly impressive. The range she displays is truly astounding, to the point where you'll be trying to figure out if it's still the same actress appearing in different scenes.
Mulholland Drive is a film certain to divide audiences and critics alike. Expect hot debate over the film's final 30 minutes, when the already unusual narrative careens into truly freakish territory. Is the sequence a dream? Was the whole film a dream? Was everything up to a certain point a dream? Whose dream is it? What is "real" and what is not? What's the chronology of the events we see? What's that creepy thing behind the restaurant? What's up with the blue key? The list of provocative question goes on and on. See the film for yourself and make your own decisions.
Naysayers will call the film pretentious, criticize the screenplay and label Lynch's finale a copout. To an extent, I agree. I personally prefer being able to discern some sort of meaning from the proceedings, and find it difficult to involve myself in a film in which the incoherent plot twists leave you unable to identify with the characters. Lynch fans, though, especially those who enjoyed the equally convoluted (but less effective) Lost Highway, will love Mulholland Drive.
Despite its flaws, Mulholland Drive left a more powerful impression on me than just about any other film in 2001. Viewers who enjoy unpredictable, daring filmmaking will definitely want to check out this bold new work by David Lynch.
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This film will mercilessly knot your brain into a pretzel without the help of any illegal substances.
A red-hot lesbian scene could cause some major sparks to fly.
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