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Summary: It is NOT difficult to explain this masterpiece..
Review: .. if you think long enough, and if you see it 2 or 3 times.
Rating:
Summary: The psychiatrist is the clue...
Review: This masterpiece of a film can be confusing, but the story becomes very clear once you see it 2 or 3 times.If you remember the end of the movie, Diane orders the killing of Camilla and she is sitting in the same place where the psychiatrist was sitting, across form where the man with a recurring nightmare was sitting in the beginning. He says some bad things are happening outside and he's scared, and that the psychiatrist was by the cash register. "Diane" is the waitress. Then, at the end you see Diane in the psychiatrist's place, the killer in the nightmare victim's place, and the nightmare victimin the psychiatrists' place at the cash register. "Betty" is the waitress. There is no psychiatrist, it's just Diane's schizophrenia, or it could really be Diane's psychiatrist who isn't revealed in her real life. So, this ties it together. The monster outside is holding the blue box, which is all of Diane's troubles, including her parents. All of the things that pressured her into this mess is the "monster". But now she is trapped beacuse she feels guilty for ordering the killing of Camilla (guilt is part of the monster that won't go away), but she is also jealous. Either way, Diane loses. She goes insane. That's why it was so convenient in Diane's dream for Rita to "survive" as the only survivor of the car crash, for Diane to become Betty so she didn't feel guilty (and get chased by the cops). Then, Betty can start again with a fresh version of Camilla who has no idea that she blew her off in real life. She can then start her affair again with the new Camilla (Rita). Of course, it's all just in her mind. She put all the people in the party against the director, and of course Camilla is the subject of "this is the girl" (for killing and lead actress in real life). Diane couldn't see a brunette Camilla being killed because she loves her, so she makes up a blond version of Camilla to kill (and in real life Camilla is Camilla's other female lover). That way, she can have Camilla (Rita) all to herself without anyone interfering. The blue key is also important, because it opens up all of her troubles. In the dream, it allows Rita access to Betty's real life, and in reality it is a locker key which contains the black book. Of course, the killer was asked by Diane to get the black book so she can 1) pursue leads in her otherwise unsuccessful acting career, and 2) get rid of evidence linking her to Camilla. Great story.
Rating: 
Summary: It was all so perfectly clear...
Review: Sorry, call me stupid, call me unappreciative of true cinematic artistry, but I just watched many minutes of David Lynch's psychedelic/dreamlike "Mulholland Drive" and I don't think I understood one teeny bit of it. Nope. Not a bit. Nay nay nay. But maybe that's beside the point! I agree that art should take whatever expression the artist sees fit. But damnit, I usually don't spend two and some odd hours looking at a cubist painting that I faint get (know what I mean?). Had Mr. Lynch himself been sitting beside me for the duration of the flick (supposing he could secure a brief release from his institution), I think even he would be scratching his head in wonderment. C'mon, would someone please tell me what I just watched?? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed myself (as one might enjoy waiting two hours for a delayed flight in some obscure American city, with each observed person and happening growing to something more than deserved, out of sheer boredom and desperation), but I was just left a little bemused and numbed. Having said all that, I will probably watch the film again. I like a bit of a challenge! Oh, wait...I get it
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Summary: Classic Lynch; dreams vs. reality
Review: A mind-bending and misunderstood film primarily because the story is revealed out of sequence, and includes dream and real elements. We are allowed to encounter two disparate worlds here, both the signature Lynch too-vivid-to-be-true style (like Blue Velvet), the stuff of dreams, where time and conversation and color and humor are skewed; as well as the brutally-honest world, where tired characters must face the depressing truth that Hollywood flattens more dreams than it uplifts, love is hard to find, and girls who win jitterbug dancing contests may not be headed for easy stardom. This is vintage Lynch with all the images, color, double-meanings, and twists of plot you expect. This campy and visually delicious film shows a re-imagined story where everything and everyone is transformed, and the story is interesting and enticing. A mystery is unfolding; a mystery of identity, love, reality vs. dream, and life vs. death. All lines are crossed. Then the film reveals the sad reality, completely changing the tone of the last third of the film, and causing us to reframe the whole story. The acting is sensational, especially Naomi Watts, who transforms herself into two different characters, barely recognizable as the same woman. Those who enjoy symbolism will be occupied for hours, analyzing the blue key(s), nametags, the meaning of "Silencio, no hay banda," the cowboy's speech about our attitudes shaping our lives, recognizing what is dream vs. reality, and discovering numerous links between them. If you enjoy complicated movies, you will chew on Mulholland Drive for hours after the credits roll.
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling but not Lynch's Best
Review: Mulholland Drive was the first movie directed by David Lynch that I had ever seen. When the end credits of Mulholland Drive began to roll I was slightly confused but very impressed by what I had seen. It was clear to me that Lynch is a very talented director. Mulholland Drive stuck in my mind for days after I watched it. Contrary to what many have claimed, I think that there is some sense to be made of this movie. The movie is a look into the downward spiraling mind of a naive young woman who came to and was destroyed by Hollywood. The first half of the movie is how she wanted her arrival in Hollywood to go. Rather than having a bad audition for the 'Sylvia North Story' she has a sizzling audition in her dream only to have her opportunity taken away by forces she couldn't control. This and many other points of Naomi Watts character's seemed clear to me by the end of the film. I think that if you are willing to pay attention to events in her dream and how they compare and parallel the events and dialog near the end that narrative arc of the movie makes sense. Having seen Mulholland Drive, I made a point to see some of Lynch's other works. Of the Lynch films that I have seen (Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, Eraserhead and the Straight Story), I was absolutely floored by Lost Highway. I thought that Lost Highway shared similar thematic elements with Mulholland Drive except that it didn't have any of the loose strings that Drive did (a result of its initial status as a TV pilot) and that visually Lost Highway is was a cut above. After seeing Lost Highway, Drive felt almost like a Diet David Lynch by comparison. Mulholland Drive rates below Lost Highway and Eraserhead in my view but is still a compelling film and an excellent introduction to the mind of David Lynch. This is not his strangest or his most disturbing film (honors that go to Eraserhead and Blue Velvet repsectively). Mulholland Drive is a very interesting and very well made film that for me was an excellent introduction to Lynch's works.
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Summary: REVEL THE UNKNOWN
Review: IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY COUNTLESS AMAZON[.com] CUSTOMER REVIEWERS THAT WATCHING "MULHOLLAND DR." A SECOND TIME WOULD EXPLAIN IT. UNDERSTANDING THIS FILM IS TO REALIZE THAT IT CAN'T BE UNDERSTOOD FULLY. ALSO IF YOUR INTO THE UNKNOWN, YOU SHOULD BE PICKY ABOUT WHO YOU VIEW THE FILM WITH. THE WRONG PERSON CAN BE A DISTRACTION IN ITSELF. A GOOD IDEA IS TO WATCH THE MOVIE ALONE, OR WITH SOMEONE WHO PAYS CLOSE ATTENTION TO DETAIL. DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVERY SCENE IS VITAL TO YOU UNDERSTANDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. "MULHOLLAND DR." TO THE AVERAGE MOVIE WATCHER WILL BE AN UNSATISFING EXPERIENCE. SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT MEANT TO GET IT, OR EVEN CARE WHETHER THEY DO. THATS O.K.. THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER MOVIES OUT THERE FOR ALL TASTES. SO IF YOUR OUT TO SEE A MOVIE THAT HAS A BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND ENDING ALL IN THAT ORDER, A DAVID LYNCH FILM OF THIS MAGNITUDE SHOULDN'T BE ON YOUR MENU.
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Summary: Keep your eyes wide open for this or you'll miss out
Review: I love the way the movie played out with full of supense and lots of other lives seeming to connect... Love the background music and the 50's atmosphere the director made the audiance feel...Remember to pay close attention to all the things the main and minor characters are saying doing and props being closed in on closeups. Other than that, I was a well rounded mystery.
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Summary: the best film in recent memory!
Review: 'Mulholland Drive' is the kind of film that leads to seemingly endless debate and theorizing. Message boards fill up with commentary claiming genius as much as absurdity and frustration. This is actually a rather intimate film in the home viewing format, producing unique reactions and wide ranging emotions. Each viewer takes from David Lynch's masterpiece what they will, but everyone has an opinion. Why? One can not walk away from this film and simply forget about it. The human mind resists because the urgency to unveil whatever mystery lies within those hypnotic two and half hours is just too potent. 'Mulholland Drive,' unlike Lynch's 'Lost Highway' will indeed give up its most telling secrets. Those ten clues offered in the sleeve of DVD additions aren't simply a hoax. For example, as noted by Lynch, there really are two extremely important clues revealed even before the credits roll. I will not reveal them, but I will say this. One of these clues is valuable to first time viewers. The other is, for the most part, beneficial only to those who have already seen this picture. Yes, there are a few subplots that really don't contribute to the main theme, but they're incredibly interesting and entertaining nonetheless. Take for example the black comedy of that triple homicide and the exploding vacuum cleaner. This scene is obviously a loose end from the serial story Lynch had in mind for ABC, but how could he not include it?
The character Naomi Watts portrays is the center of this film. Her performance is nothing short of a miracle. Pay particular attention to the astonishing duplicity she serves up playing both 'Betty' and 'Diane.' Yes, that disheveled blonde in the final half hour is played by the same actress that gave 'Betty' all that excessive sweetness and charisma.
I won't reveal anything about the plot because, prior to experiencing this film for the first time, it's hardly necessary.
In addition, describing what makes this film great would take far longer than this review could possibly be.
Briefly, 'Mulholland Drive' offers vibrant imagery, jaw dropping performances, great lines, A. Badalamenti's incredible music, rich and exceedingly rewarding ideas, and a holistic experience that will stick with you long after all those popcorn summer blockbusters begin collecting dust at the neighborhood video store. 'Mulholland Drive' melds the dreams we aspire to attain together with the dreams we create when we sleep. It displays a sharp intuitive sense of how we internalize hope and our desires for the future. What's more, this film develops fascinating characters based on the fantasies we fall in love and the realities we wish to shun. Why mince words? 'Mulholland Drive' is brilliant cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Astounding vortex -
Review: I've no desire to repeat what others have written here in the 5 star category - all I can say is the power of the film is in the way it alters consciousness at the threshold of self-awareness... I saw the film two nights ago and now my falling asleep, my half-awake stumblings to the bathroom at 3 am, waking in the gray...all invaded by Lynch's tragedy of self-destruction -- took my mind through an astonished vortex of shattered dreams and self-corruption. Read the other highly rated 5-star reviews for the details I won't bother to repeat. Naomi Watts completely blew me away. Watch it and it weep.
Rating: 
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: Not even worth your time...it will leave you with an empty worthless feeling, makes you wonder why they even make a movie this sick and empty.
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