Confusing, but satisfying... (vague spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (18 July 2002)

Mulholland Drive's tagline does the best job of accurately summarizing the film: "A love story in the city of dreams." It's a depressing movie that explores themes of paranoia, jealousy, revenge, guilt and self-doubt, ultimately proposing that the real world is not a place where happiness can be accessed by everyone.
After the first viewing of Mulholland Drive, I didn't see a connection between the film's plot points and was ready to dismiss it as a self-indulgent, incoherent piece of trash. Upon watching it a second time, the sense of satisfaction as everything clicks together is enormous. There are many subtle clues in the first section of the film that bring sense to the seemingly incomprehensible last section, but they're so easily overlooked. Mulholland Drive contains a great deal of symbolism, and there are still some elements of the film that I've yet to understand, such as the grotesque being living behind Winkies. It's possible that the creature can be interpreted a number of ways, one which is simply that it embodies all that is evil, or perhaps it is a symbol of justice; churning out retribution to all who deserve it. One of the most important purposes of Mulholland Drive is to expose the struggles of keeping up with the fast-paced, kill-or-be-killed movie making industry. The film is a critical analysis of Hollywood.
Naomi Watts gives a dynamic performance as Betty/Dianne, and Laura Harring plays two different representations of her character well; submissive as Rita, wildly cruel as Camilla.
Summing up, Mulholland Drive is an unusual movie which requires a lot of thought from the viewer to appreciate it. You'll probably need to view it more than once to get a grip on the film's narrative, but it's an unforgettable experience regardless of whether you understand it or not.
9/10