One of the best films of this decade so far

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2005)

David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. is undoubtedly one of the best films of this decade. The film takes the viewer down an ever-more disturbing path, one that will evoke every feeling in the book before it reaches its raw, nerve-shattering conclusion. As one reviewer put it, "Mulholland Dr. gets in your head and stays there." This statement could not be more true. No film is harder to decipher than Mulholland Dr., but from David Lynch, we would expect nothing less. The non-Lynchian crowd will be frustrated to the point of fury, while those who respect Lynch's work will be drawn to this film's complexity and dark symbolism. It takes a special person to enjoy a movie with more metaphors than actual plot, and more symbolism than hard fact. Those who dwell on what is real and what is not will not be able to fully absorb the sheer brilliance this picture. In fact, I recommend that a first-time viewer simply ignore Lynch's cryptic "10 clues to solving the thriller," and just enjoy the film for what it is: a masterpiece of modern film-making which does not rely on big-budget action or cheesy romance, but rather on a consistent and intriguing script and an absorbing, real-life quality that many films lack. Lynch's camera may resemble that of a horror film to many, and indeed at least one scene pushes the gates of the horror genre nearly wide open. The throbbing, often hostile soundtrack will only add to the feeling of fear incurred by this picture. Overall, I found Lynch's newest film to be a piece of cinematic brilliance with few flaws and much to offer for the philosophic, or simply just observant, viewer. Any film that has the ability to lead to hours of pointed discussion between recent viewers (as Mulholland Dr. has a reputation for doing) has done well for itself. Indeed, Mulholland Dr. is a love-it-or-hate-it film, with little or no grey area. Those who love it will watch it countless times, and develop and redevelop long-winded theories and themes that they believe Lynch has hidden in the film. Those who hate it will denounce Lynch has an arrogant surrealist who believes that the more complicated something is, the better it is. For my part, I loved every minute of this film, and each time I watch it, I discover something new. I was speechless after watching this film, with thoughts racing through my head so fast I thought it might explode. Films rarely have that effect on me. For those who are tired of the Hollywood big-budget summer blockbusters full of testosterone-filled men slaughtering each other with machine guns and beautiful women in bikinis disarming nuclear weapons, try something new this summer. Try David Lynch's Mulholland Dr.