Mulholland Drive

Rating:
Summary: You just don't get it.
Review: If you like your films wrapped up in pretty little Oprah-approved packages, don't bother to see this film. If you like to actually use your mind when you watch a film, you will not be dissapointed with Milholland drive. I am a big Lynch fan, but not a blind one. As others have said, Lost Highway was a dud for me, with to much "art" and not enough plot.
That said, M.D. DID have a complete plot, and many here obviously did not get it because it is non-linear and makes you decipher what was real and what was a dream. Personally, I like movies like Momento and Pulp Fiction that reveal why things happend AFTER the fact, so you get more of a sense of the progression of story and time. M.D. does this very successfully, and it takes a full viewing and some thought afterward to sort out what really happend and what didn't. I will buy the DVD and I'm sure I will see more upon every viewing, and thats what I love about Lynch. If it's not your bag, go see Shrek. If it is, you will love Mulholland drive.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing film....and
Review: Seeing MULHOLLAND DRIVE reminded me of seeing BLUE VELVET in its theatrical release in the 80s. A disturbing experience but one from which you couldn't take your eyes or your brain off the picture.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE has so many thematic elements thrown together in a black hole for lack of a better word, that draw you in and hold your attention long after the movie is over. I was awake half the night trying to puzzle out what exactly happened. I cannot go into too much detail, without giving away the surprises that the movie holds. I'm going again and probably a third or fourth time, as I know like BLUE VELVET and LOST HIGHWAY before, a Lynch film is simply many layers of suspended reality and thought layered on top of some incredible plotting, bizarre characterizations, haunting musical scoring, terrific acting (from several new actors and actresses in this film in particular) and so many twists you'll still be guessing and talking about it incessantly to anyone you know who's a connoisseur of his films.

To append my initial thoughts on the film, now that I've experienced it a second time with a fellow Lynch fanatic I'm even MORE intrigured. Just when I thought I had some ideas of what it represented, the second viewing only jumbled all my thoughts. Like any film you watch more than once, you begin to notice certain motifs and elements more clearly. For example Lynch uses a stage/theatre setting in almost all of his films, as my friend pointed out, as we were having coffee after the movie. I also see that the color blue figures prominently in MULHOLLAND DRIVE, perhaps more so than in BLUE VELVET (Isabella Rossellini's character wore a sequined blue evening gown.) Here, Lynch's use of the color might just be thrown in for no particular reason, but I'm still working on a purpose for it. Perhaps like so much in this story, everything is what it is ONLY from your perspective. Everyone will have a completely different reaction to what this movie represents or doesn't. To say it is surrealism is simplistic. Lynch is playing with many different themes and contexts, which serve to puzzle, tantalize and ultimately, entertain all the senses!

There are some real "star-quality" performances from Naomi Watts, who shows great versatility in her myriad "roles". Also, Laura Elena Harring as the dark beauty who's at the center of this bizarre web of love, betrayal and lost lives. Justin Theroux is the man caught in between, so to speak. These three actors are perfectly matched for the story and the characters. Kudos to the casting director!

As always Angelo Badalamenti's musical score heightens the dramatic tension and is lush and dreamlike. Soundtrack is on my wish list, if anyone I know is reading this.

I'll be quite interested when the DVD edition is produced, to see if Lynch will include any commentary and insight into his vision of what MULHOLLAND DRIVE is. The movie is definitely a 2-disc set worthy of extra treatments (director commentary, production notes, costume/art direction notes,etc.) NOTE to Universal Pictures: don't skimp on the DVD edition!!

Take a "drive" sometime with this movie, it is NOT TO BE MISSED!

Rating:
Summary: Lynch Mob
Review: Quite frankly, I don't get all the slavish praise I've heard about this film and I've tried. I saw Lost Highway, didn't get it and didn't like it, worrying all the while there was nothing to get. In the early going, I thought Mulholland Drive was going to be a whole lot better and it did get off to a swell start beginning with an exciting car crash sequence and a beautiful amnesiac crawling down the Hollywood Hills and installing herself into the life of a Hollywood Hopeful, just arrived fresh-faced from Ontario. The two women are pretty, great to look at, and that's what you're supposed to do. Otherwise, there would be no reason to look at them at all once the very basic plot is established. The dark, smoldering beauty who crawls down from the Hollywood hills has a pile of loot in her purse and a mysterious key. Of course, she doesn't remember anything, not her own identity, nor where the money came from.
The blonde ingenue from Ontario feels sorry for her, befriends her, trying to help her out, to find herself. Bit by bit, thread by thread, the car crash victim remembers tiny bits which become part of the story plot as the two women track down the amnesiac's history. A person watching the movie needn't bother about names because they're subject to change, especially as the film reaches a predictable David Lynch denouement. Not only do the names change, but so do the personalities and the roles. The winners become the losers, the losers become the winners, the victims become the tormentors and so forth. Behind the glittery Hollywood machinery of life are Puppet Masters with a capital "P", a sort of movie mogul mafia which asserts rigorous control over the film. Film? Read: metaphor for life. Meanwhile, the clearest thing about the film was that sex was just as important as money and power. Rather, sex was contiguous, conjoined with money and power. Yet all of these things could lead to betrayal, especially in this movie, where the author-writer-director has characterized the entire Hollywood universe as a kind of revolving hell.
I forgot to mention there are plenty of disconnected gambits, plot twists, theatrics involving horrifying spectres and grotesque caricatures. The filmic qualities and techniques are deft and slick throughout this film, and would be better appreciated if the theme hadn't been so trite. Did I say theme? My bad.
What this film intends is a deconstruction of Hollywood into its various elements. The audience is teased, manipulated by filmic gambits and contrivances, helpless to extract itself. Yo, we are putty in the hands of the directors, the Hollywood mafia. Directors suck and audiences are stupid, but how better can people make tremendous amounts of money, get beautiful women, and get power over others than by making it to the top in Hollywood, the great Moloch?
(...) But once out of this trance, all I could do was wait for another engaging film sequence. And unless one counted the macabre imagery, those were few and far between.

Rating:
Summary: You'll Get it or You Won't; I Didn't; I Stll Don't
Review: Many people will leave the theatre, after having seen this film, and find themselves confused. I am not afraid to admit that I am one of them. Perhaps, our kind has not the mental capacity to capture the truth in this film. Immediately after leaving the theatre, I rushed home to read reviews of Mulholland Drive in the hopes of discovering what it meant and what other people thought about it. What I found is that perhaps us who did not comprehend the film, vainly and ignorantly sought a complete image, of which this film deliberately does not offer.

One review that I read was that of Roger Ebert, who praises the film because it is only glimpses of dreams, never a complete story, without a thorough plot, and frequently introducing elements that it negligently abandons later on. For the average viewer--myself included--this seems unsatisfying and utterly pointless. However, I will not criticize it for this reason, and state simply that those people looking for a complete and appealing story, from beginning to end--not necessarily in that order--will be disappointed, as I was, when nothing is resolved. In fact the action on the screen appears almost counterproductive.

But, of the individual elements of the film, I still could not enjoy. The direction--though Lynch received a best director award at Cannes--I found deliberately and unsatisfactorily hokey. In fact, because of the oftentimes silly use of camera, the main actresses' performances were laughable to the fullest degree. Moreover, some situations--the crazy prophetic tenant comes to mind--were so silly and utterly stupid that the audience broke down in laughter at the downright idiotic events occurring onscreen. Many times, as Mr. Ebert stated, characters would be introduced and later prove to have almost no significance to warrant their screen time. If I wanted this kind of entertainment, I could eavesdrop on conversations in a diner--but I think that we as a civilization have gone beyond that.

So, how do I summarize my experience while viewing the film? Well, I was almost embarrassed for the director and actors, because the film came across as such a poorly made film. Despite the--deserved--audience laughter, there was talk on the way out as to whether ANYONE truly got it. Meanwhile everything that the plot presents COULD HAVE created something resembling a plot that would have been more than satisfying to the audience. The surrealistic elements could have been maintained, while still toned down, and perhaps the experience would have proved to be mildly entertaining in the respect that a film is supposed to be. In the end, I think that is what sinks this picture--Lynch tries too hard to be unique that he brings the rest of the production down with him. Unfortunately, very little succeeds--But, HEY, it made me think. The question is, Does that equal the price of admission? I have to say NO.

Rating:
Summary: Mull-over-it Bribe
Review: Okay, the title of my view refers to what the other ...P>Weird for weird's sake
With that said, there were paaaallllenteeee of times I was ready to walk out of this "film". The only problem was, I was sitting in the middle of an aisle and I would have disturbed too many people who were catching up on their zzs.

At this point, I suppose it would help if I gave you all some sort of plot summary. Since there was no plot, I'll skip around randomly-- which is fitting, given this "film". So there's this "girl" from Canada (altough she turns out to be someone else later, although it looks like her but with a different nose). Anyway, she's an aspiring actress. She can obviously act because there is one scene in which she displays an incredible ability to deliver lines. Up until that point, she has been directed (for the "film") to act as though she were someone who couldn't act, but was trying to act as if she could act, in real life (although she was acting). Got it? There's this other woman (with a spackled face, but that's beside the point), but she was tripping and I just can't get into it. The rest of the characters are typical "Lynchian"- bizarre-- not to further the plot-- not for entertainment's sake-- just because. How's that!?

The best part is, you will actually come out of the "film" trying to piece elements together. Forget it.. nothing is explained and you have to take HUGE leaps and throw any kind of logic out the door. And you will *waste* time thinking about it-- because none of the characters is even remotely interesting enough to warrant it. (Oh, pro-"Mullers", save the "scary cowboy" bit.. the strawberry blond wimp, as the anti hero of the "film". His image conjures up Forrest Gump. "Stupid is as Stupid Does". This guy is the same kid who used to pass gas and light matches behind the Shell station on Oak Street, now all grown up and on the big screen!)

I realize I run the risk of p-ing off all the Lynch devotees.. the people who watched Twin Peaks for a year talking stupid details. These are the same people who put jelly donuts back on the map, so they have formidable persuasive power. Don't listen to them! You will really hate yourself if you see this movie, especially if you read my review first.

Last- if SNL had good writers, this would make a great parody. However, not one bit of dialogue would have to be changed.

Rating:
Summary: Completely unfluid film full of irrelevant scenes
Review: David Lynch stuck everything he possibly could into this movie. As a result, it makes zero sense, and comes out as just another Hollywood director trying to be artsy. There is no plot, prettymuch, just following characters around and then switching to subplots that have nothing to do with the main plotline.

Rating:
Summary: Make some sense really..
Review: Is it not the case that the last 1/3 of the movie makes sense if you ignore the actors and acresses playing the parts and concentrate on the characters. It seems that Lynch switched who was playing which role at this point, but if you can see past this then the plot makes perfect sense.
Right???

Rating:
Summary: David Lynch's Mysterious mind sets another intense mood
Review: I wasn't sure what I was in for at first, and then Oh my god! I think I only blinked once through the whole movie, I was absolutely so involved in the movie.
Bright eyed girl's first time in Hollywood begins this awesome movie!
His perfect inflictions of twists had some impact on the whole audience, everyone was in awe. I absolutely love this film and I highly reccomend it to anyone thats a lover of his films.
His perfect plots and his emotions are absolutely shown in this movie, the soundtrack is so awesome also!
You will not be dissapointed with this movie at all!
I still favor fire walk with me the best but this is in my top 3 favs!

Rating:
Summary: Magical Mystery Tour, Led by David Lynch
Review: I cannot explain this film. On this pretext, I will review it.
I see the roots in television: much of the film would work in "The X-Files". But it's bigger than that. This film is bigger than anything ever attempted on television, from "Roots" to "24". It is an unrelenting, beautiful, mad and marvelous display of raw human thought: a dreamscape, a nightmare, a fantasy and a daydream all in one. The structure of the film is hopeless to analyze; Freud would be left scratching his aching head. With that said, this is also the best film of 2001.
Some will call this realism: perception. I have yet to see the world in such a skewed perception, but this is a universe that may mirror your, in its madness. Absurdity. Confusion. Hopless and thoughtless, maddening and enigmatic, whimsical and homicidal, morbid, pretty, intellectual and fantastical. Life. It is fused with sexual tension and bizarre concealed eroticism, which must pop, and threats, which do not. It is sure to inspire much laughter, perhaps, discomfort, maybe desire, and often, fear. Like a head trip and a love machine, this film turns you on to everything that it is. It is more than a plot, or images, or emotion, or thought. It is transcendental, connecting all aspects of individual existence with a noose-rope that strangles off explanation and settles one in to a phantasmic fantasia of wonder and delight. If you claim to understand it, you are wrong. It has such an ability to shift itself, carelessly, throwing the viewer away to wonder... But not until you see what happens next... And next...
Much may be said of the performances: Ms. Watts begins the film rather oddly, like some soap opera queen on the big screen, perky and hardcore with emotion, most real when acting. And then she backstabs you with a quick change to some of the most intense ultrarealism that I've ever seen on film. Often, the tone becomes so semblant of reality as to frighten, others, so absurd as to cause giggles. Billy Ray Cyrus is particularly humorous in an episode, and Jutin Theroux lands his character a good look... And more than that.
It may sometimes baffle, what is happening, but it somehow stays together... Inextricably, this film works. The archetypes embodied by everyone involved evoke pure Hollywood, and then they become quick reversals... It is everything that anyone can ask a film to be, except for simple. Those who choose not to slide down its arc of pure weirdness and magic is left to face their dreams alone.

Rating:
Summary: A nightmare of genius.
Review: A beautiful brunette, losing her memory in a car accident, breaks into a Beverly Hills apartment and hides there. A perky blonde arrives in Los Angeles to audition for a movie. Sinister money men tell an arrogant young director that they'll pull the plug on his latest movie unless he hires the actress of their choice. It seems like the start of an multilayered Hollywood mystery a' la James Ellroy or Robert Altman, and at first in "Mulholland Drive" David Lynch seems to be paying homage especially to Altman. But don't worry, folks--Lynch has never been more Lynchian than in this brooding, gorgeous, doom-laden nightmare of a movie. This is Lynch's masterpiece to date, exceeding even "Blue Velvet" and "The Straight Story;" it is amazing how he subverts all our expectations and defies all storytelling logic, and yet gives us a fully satisfying tale of terror. He presents lots of red herrings and leaves about 50,000 loose plot ends, but Lynch has always relied not on the logic of suspense, but of nightmare. The last half-hour of this film inverts everything we've been told during the first two hours, and the last five minutes--which audaciously skirt the edge of the ridiculous--are perhaps the most terrifying ever put on film. I found myself with mouth agape at the end, amazed at what I'd seen and what Lynch had gotten away with. Peter Deming's photography is a marvel of stark color and imaginative use of light and shadow; the mostly unknown cast is superb. (I might add that Laura Elena Harring, as the brunette, is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen on screen, bar none.) Even Roger Ebert, a veteran Lynch-hater, was wowed by this. My guess is that you will be, too.