Passafist Reviews Mullholland Drive

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2003)

How do you review a film like Mullholland Drive? What do you tell people? How do you explain what you've just witnessed? That's the most agrivating thing about this film. There's a story here, after one viewing I think I have it, but do I?
I've actually driven on Mullholland Drive. Even in the Daytime it's a little freaky, it's up in the Hollywood Hills, and even though you're in one of the biggest cities in the world, it feels like a no mans land. All these big houses with huge gates, and yet not a soul in sight. Man that movie was on big mind freak!!!
Naomi Watts (The Ring) plays Betty a small town girl who's just stepped off a plane into the City of Angels. She has a rich aunt who's letting her stay in her apart while she shoots a movie in Canada. Betty has dreams of making it as an actress, she won a jitterbug contest at home why couldn't she? Now imagine you shock if you got home and there was a naked woman in your shower. That woman calls herself Rita. The enchantingly beautiful Laura Elena Harring (Willard) plays her, she doesn't know who she is or how she got where she was. Except that the night before she was in a horrible car accident, in which she was the only survivor.
There is also a film director named Adam, who's being forced to cast an actress he doesn't want in his new film. There is a cowboy (Monty Montgomery) who's looking for him. Plus there's a hitman (Matt Pellegrino) and two executives, one who never says a word (Dan Hedya), the other who hates the studio Espresso ((Composer Angelo Badalamenti) I guess it's too bad he never got that damn fine cup of coffee in Twin Peaks) and a guy in a restaurant who had a bad dream.
As the film progress all these characters and more walk in and out, and for the most part your not sure why. The film is full of clues to solve the mystery, but what are clues and what are red herrings? We'll probably never know.
I liked the scenes where Betty is practicing her lines for an audition with Rita. I like how the lines are played with the dashing old actor (Chad Everett). What a difference playing close and playing far away make. I liked the Director in the scene (Wayne Grace) who is manipulated by everyone else.
The films last 40 minutes have to be seen to believe. Yes, there is the infamous lesbian sex scene. But there's more than that. The film also begins to unravel? The dream begins to end and the film which up until then has been very light and tongue and cheek takes a very, very dark turn. Everything gets tied up, but only more questions are left unanswered.
Mullholland Drive is the kind of movie that will be discussed forever. What does everything mean? Who is the dark wino who freaks out the man who had a dream about Winkies? What was the point of that scene? What is the blue box? What is the blue key? What is the woman singing about at the strange concert? What's in the Black Book? What David Lynch's Dwarf friend up to this time? I'm convinced David Lynch knows, but he's not telling.
So I'll leave you with one Word: SILENCIO!!