Review
Mulholland Dr.
- Director
- David Lynch
- Year
- 2001
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris
- Review date
- Tuesday, May 07, 2002
One day in L.A. a car accident happens in which a woman (Laura Elena Harring) ends up with amnesia. A wannabe movie star from Canada (Naomi Watts), who has just arrived to town, finds her in her apartment and decides to help her. Thus they start a search to find something about her true identity, but that’s just the main storyline. As a matter of fact there are countless subplots including one about a movie director (Justin Theroux) having a terrible day, a man who has strange spooky dreams, a mysterious cowboy who wants things his own way, a casting audition for a big movie and much more.
So where do I start? First of all I want to make it clear that I love David Lynch. Sometimes I don’t like when his movies become incomprehensible and that’s exactly what I was expecting from Mulholland Dr.. About two-thirds into the movie the weirdness started to kick in after a very engaging start. David Lynch starts to literally play with our minds and it’s up to us if we’re up to the task. It’s a quite shocking contrast, but one that will or will not clarify things for the audience.
After the movie ended I realized I had almost everything figured out (or at least that’s what I thought) so in a way I didn’t hate the ending as much as I would have if I hadn’t understood a bit of it. I mean, everyone must have there own theories, but I’ve got a pretty strong case and I won’t say it here for obvious reasons.
In a way Mulholland Dr. is kind of a dreamy experience. It says a lot about wanting to leave your past behind, about burying your old-self and moving ahead, about fantasies coming true and about feelings you can’t hide to yourself. It’s about the difference between what could have been and what is. After all is said and done, it’s also a way of satirizing Hollywood and the myth that commonly surrounds it. Probably my words won’t mean anything to you until you see the movie, but then you’ll know what I mean and you will read between my words. There’s definitely a lot to say about Mulholland Dr., something I admire and applaud it for.
The movie is, of course, full of Lynch-ian moments. As a director and a writer, Lynch has created something strikingly original and stylish. This movie actually started as a pilot for ABC. When they rejected it Lynch decided to shoot some additional scenes and turned it into a full-length picture. There are definitely strong traces of this, but overall the transition is good and Lynch proves his talent at prime form.
Much was also made about Naomi Watts’s performance. Some say she should’ve gotten more awards’ recognition. What I have to say is that her performance is definitely top-notch. At first I didn’t think it was that special, but as the movie reached its finale I got pleasantly surprised. I looked back and realized she was pitch-perfect at every moment. Naomi is a very good actress and I hope to see her more in the future. She also reminded me a lot of Nicole Kidman, which is ironic given the fact that they’re very good friends in real life.
As for the rest of the cast, there’s Laura Elena Harring, an extraordinary actress as well, and a big ensemble cast that works really well together. Despite top billing, actors like Dan Hedaya and Robert Forster appear mostly as cameos. But there’s no denying Lynch’s amazing eye for weird characterizations and talented performers.
In a few words, Mulholland Dr. is a hallucinatory experience. One of the most interesting movies of the year!
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Other reviews of Mulholland Dr. (2001): Groucho
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