Mulholland drive: A dream about Hollywood (minor spoilers)

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2018)

David Lynch is one of the most interesting filmmakers in recent memory, His movies are often some of the most talked about and most intriguing films out there. They tend to be very dividing and often need multiple viewings in order to try understanding what they are about and what do they mean. Mulholland Drive is considered by many to be a classic and I would like to talk about it.
Mulholland Drive(2001) is a murder (?) mystery drama about amnesic woman played Laura Elena Harring(later named Rita, later Camilla Rose), who after being involved in a car accident takes shelter in a house in a high end house in Hollywood. This coincides with Betty played by Naomi Watts (Later Dianne) a wide eyed young woman looking to become a famous actress in Hollywood after winning a jitterbug contest. The paths of these two women cross, resulting in them teaming up to uncover why the accident happened and who Rita is. While the main plot takes place there are a number of subplots that at first seem completely at odds with each other but all fall in on each in interesting ways towards the end of the film. After a certain point the film changes to a new set of characters played by the same actors (Dianne played by Naomi Watts and Camilla Rose by Laura Elena Harring) and the movie's plot changes into a tragic tale of betrayal and vengeance.
I will not deny that when I first watched Mulholland Drive I disliked it, I suppose it was the sudden turn of plot and characters in a movie that is already dreamlike and demanding constant attention (please do not expect a David Lynch movie to be mindless or straightforward, you will only do yourself a disservice) just threw my interpretation out the window and left me cold. However recently with the rerelease of the film in cinemas I decided to give it another go, with this time approaching it with the idea that the first half is a dream of sorts and the second half was based on memory. After the second time I think it does improve immensely, I can't help wondering if this can be a flaw with Lynch's work if the first viewing could be such an off putting experience. I am not such if this is a flaw with the movie or me the reviewer.
Naomi Watts shines in this movie, both as the near impossibly upbeat, naive and perfectly talented Betty and as the depressed mess of a human being we see her when she is Dianne. Her performance is real and perfect. Same goes Laura Elena Harring who starts off as the classic femme fatale of every 1940s thriller ever and turns into a woman who stole Dianne's career from under her. She turns from an idea blank slate for Betty to love into a betrayer of love and life. I love it.
Now about that dreamlike atmosphere and techniques that is a staple of Lynch's work. He uses a lot of first person perspectives to bring a rather personal perspective and bringing across the implied fact that it is all a dream, the film cleverly uses blurred vision and different perspectives to show us the difference between memory and dream, the use of light and colour to tell the story and explain how characters are feeling and what they see. Perception of reality is not only a theme in this movie but also integral to the film as a whole.
Mulholland Drive is an interesting movie that should be watched multiple times in order to understand it on some level. The first viewing may or may not turn you off it and I do not blame you. The movie is a daunting task if you are not prepared. However it is a pretty great movie and I will watch it again someday.