Espresso love

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2007)

As I look out my window, I see a small white dog, shaped like a sausage, frantically running up and down the yard, in anticipation of something good that will never come. That's what life is like in the world of David Lynch. It's a radiant world of jealousy and fear. Partnered up, in more ways than one, with the lovely Laura Harring, Naomi Watts is among the brightest stars in this gloomy universe. The camera loves her as she climbs through a tiny window come magical plot hole in a two-piece tailored suit that was a tad tight to begin with. It's a moment that, just by itself, outshines many a lesser director's entire work. "Mulholland Dr." is rich in such moments, from the priceless diner déja vu and director Adam Kesher's (Justin Theroux) encounter with the mysterious cowboy (Lafayette Montgomery) right down to what must be the most discerning Espresso tasting in motion picture history (featuring a cameo by composer Angelo Badalamenti as coffee-crazy mobster Luigi Castigliani). About two-thirds through a fairly conventional tale of a small-town girl out of her element in big LA, Betty's quest veers onto a final stretch of mystery and madness. Shiny. Sexy. Startling. Says Betty: "Come on, it'll be like the movies. We'll pretend to be someone else."