David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. has brought Spanish cinema to Hollywood

Rating: 9/10 (11 June 2016)

David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. has brought Spanish cinema to Hollywood. Mulholland Drive captivates audiences with its sheer storytelling,characters and bold visuals without reliance on, or even the existence of a steady plot. The audience does not know for the most part, what the movie is about, who some of the characters are, or how they even play apart in the story, yet, it doesn't seem to matter. There is something spellbinding about the film and you are captured and drawn into this non-linear mystery with little sense of control.
The analogy to Spanish cinema is made as it reminds you of Latin American classics such as "All About My mother" (1999) and "Open Your Eyes" (1997).Lynch's usage of bold colors and dreamy photography also invites this comparison. The non-linear nature of the film is also reminiscent of earlier Hollywood works such as "Eyes Wide Shut" (1998) yet Mulholland Dr. is in a class of its own. It stands out and is interesting because you have never seen a film quite like it before.Unlike, traditional Hollywood narratives, there is a mystery, but the audience doesn't care for it to be solved, rather the awe comes from watching the characters trapped in it and how they man-oeuvre their way.
Mulholland Dr. is a full drama wrapped with elements of horror, fantasy and is a thriller in its own respect. It is one of several films which have discarded the Hollywood dream for many. It adds to the likes of "Sunset Boulevard" (1956) and "All about Eve" (1950) but is darker and more eerie, but in equal parts expertly acted and directed.
Naomi Watts as the perky Hollywood hopeful, Betty, and later as failed actress Dianne Selwyn is arguably one of the stronger and more ranged performances of an actress on screen in recent time. However, Laura Harring bravado performance as the amnesia-tic "Rita" carries the film and acts as a canvas for Lynch's unconventional direction. The cast is excellently rounded out by Justin Theroux as the perplexed movie director, Adam Kesher, and Ann Miller as Coco, the ever-present landlady.
After watching Mulholland Drive you will remember three things: a small blue box, a haunting post midnight performance of "silencio" and the line "you don't stop here." What you won't remember is what the film is about or where it began or where it ends for that matter. Nevertheless, you will know you have just witnessed an incredible piece of cinema, known only by the name of the street, Mulholland Drive.