The world's finest director gives it to us twisted - I love it!

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2002)

First, a disclaimer. Only a certain sort of person can watch and appreciate a Lynch film. I don't think intelligence is a factor - I like to think of myself as quite a smart guy, and was well pleased with myself for following this film through the twist in the last half hour, but then when the film got REALLY weird in the final few minutes, I lost any idea I might ever have had about what was going on. I think to appreciate Lynch you need to be open-minded enough to accept whatever surreality he's going to throw at you next, but not analytical enough to think everything has to have an answer. Sometimes, just to irritate the audience, I'm sure Lynch just chucks in a random element which doesn't make any sense at all. Mulholland Drive requires you to concentrate, otherwise you'll think you've just gone mad in parts of it. It also requires you to enjoy having your mind twisted inside out, churned around in a food mixer, and served to you 'Hannibal'-style on a plate. If you prefer easy-watching, sit-back-and-enjoy-the-spectacle films, stay well away. This is a thought-provoking, thought-mangling, masterpiece. I don't know what the underlying metaphors are meant to be (maybe there just aren't any) but I detect a cynicism, about what fame and stardom can do to you, very prevalent in this piece. What is unique among Lynch films of Mulholland Drive is that it makes you laugh with some genuinely funny set-pieces - the botched contract killing near the start had me in stitches, and the scenes that take place within the director's house are great too. Ultimately, what sets this out from some more mainstream surreal films is the absence of any explicit explanation - there is no conveniently-scripted description of what the hell's been going on, like there is in the Sixth Sense, Matrix or Fight Club. Imagine trying to figure out the Matrix with no Morbius, no phones or anyone telling Keanu Reeves what's happening, multiply your confusion by a hundred and you have a rough idea what you'll be feeling watching Mullholland Drive. I can't wait for this to be mass-released, cos I want to see it again to see if I can make any more sense. I'm sure I'm not the only one with my head fried. Go see it - and don't say I didn't warn you.