Beautiful Madness

Rating: 10/10 (22 June 2010)

It is difficult for me to write a review without giving away what I believe to be the crux or the heart of the movie. But I will do my very best to discuss only my thoughts that I think will enhance the viewing experience.
I have watched Mulholland Drive many times so far. The first time or two I was fascinated mostly with the wonderful little details of the relationship between the to main characters (Betty and Rita). The erotic bedroom and mesmerizing club scenes were so outstanding that I must have watched them dozens of times.
The more I watched the movie, the more I began to see the underlying theme and the true reasons for all the strange scenes.
This is a movie that probably needs to be watched many times (except for the cinema-gifted) in order to "get it." And yes, I do believe that there is a "getting it," because there is a reasoned meaning behind everything. Once I got it, it became even more beautiful and filled me with awe.
That probably reads strangely, without further explanation; however, if I were to make it more clear, I would probably give away some important things that need to be discovered on one's own. Without that self-discovery, the "ah-hah" moment is lost.
Some people might claim that the movie is a series of confusing and pointless theatrics. I wondered about that myself the first two times I watched it. But after the third time, I reveled in the artistic cinematic expressions that represented the madness and beauty that is our existence.
That's all I'm going to say, expect, don't give up on it if you at first do not understand it, or you feel annoyed with the movie. I honestly believe that their are very important messages that the artists of this movie are trying to convey to the audience in a way that cuts to the core of our being.
Jared Salinger