Lynch's Finest

Rating: 8/10 (7 May 2004)

The first time I saw Mulholland Drive I was overwhelmed and driven almost insane with frustration.
The second time I saw Mulholland Drive I was familiar with the imagery and suspenseful parts and was more free to examine the plot and try to unravel the mystery.
Somewhere between the second and third viewing I though "I got it." The third watching proved I was right, I think.
Most movies don't require a person to invest so much energy in them and it's understandable that many people will not like this film. But for puzzle lovers, David Lynch must be some kind of god. It is a credit to him as a director that no one has ever dared attempt to make a Lynchian film. Unlike the endless Tarantino knock offs who merely possess geek-like knowledge of trashy cinema, no one can duplicate the clearly weird and wonderful imaginings of David Lynch's head.
Naomi Watts is incredible in this. It wasn't until the end when I realized that Betty was Diane's dream version of herself that I appreciated how wonderful this performance really was.
The most important scene in the film is the one that takes place in the club Silencio. It is a metaphor for the whole film and if you can work that out then the rest of the film will unfold more easily.
Brilliantly fascinating and frustrating Mullholland Drive is a mystery wrapped in a riddle set in a place of sunshine and bright lights but it's message is as dark as they come.
Now if someone could help me Lost Highway....