Bizarre and beautiful

Rating: 9/10 (17 April 2008)

Before I saw this film I hadn't seen any of David Lynch's work though I was well aware that he is an individualist with a flair for the surreal. This movie was like a breath of fresh air to me. If you're sick of the cookie-cutter films trotted out of Hollywood ad nauseam these days then "Mulholland Dr." is the cure.
One of the keys to this film is the look. I don't even know how to describe it, so no wonder his films have their own adjective (Lynchian). More often than not the stellar visuals are paired with audio that complements them perfectly. The performance of the Spanish-language version of Roy Orbison's "Crying" is one such example.
The performances are all first-rate, with the two female leads being especially noteworthy. I don't know quite what to make of the plot but, boy, what a ride. This is one I'm definitely going to have to see again in order to sort out the details but, strangely, I enjoyed it immensely even though the latter developments utterly baffled me. That is the strength of the film's dream-like quality; it is so satisfyingly surreal that accurate interpretation is merely an afterthought.
If you're the type of viewer that sticks to prosaic box office hits then this movie isn't for you. However, if you're looking for something with a little more depth and verve, this film delivers those in spades.
Addendum (November 29, 2008): Upon seeing this film for a second time recently I have to admit that it did not hold up as well as I had hoped. Inevitably, much of the suspense had been drained, which hurt the film's atmosphere. That is a problem for a film that basically requires multiple viewings in order to make any sense out of it. So, I stand by my rating of 9 for the initial viewing but cannot deny that repeated viewings do not hold quite the same appeal. Therefore, my rating for a repeated viewing (should you choose to partake of it) would be an 8.