Review of Mulholland Drive

Introduction

David Lynch isn`t a normal, beginning-to-end storyteller. He is manipulative, intelligent and provocative writer, who adds layers and layers of substance to his movies, and never makes a `surface movie` - every single movie has some depth in it, something that makes you reflect. From his early days when he made the mind-numbing Eraserhead, Lynch has become somewhat of a legend. His work is always compelling, and a joy to behold. He directs with a flair that many other helmers don`t - and never will - possess. Due to his background as an artist, he paints a textured vision to his movies, and adds a unique narrative into the blend. Mulholland Drive is no exception. Before you watch it, you only need to carry a very simple synopsis in your head:

Rita (Laura Elena Harring) is involved in a car crash just after her driver pulls a gun on her. She stumbles out of the wreckage dazed, and with no recollection of who she is, or where she is. She hides out in a nearby house in Hollywood, and soon meets Betty (Naomi Watts), an up and coming actress who is full of enthusiam and potential. Together they begin to forge a friendship as they begin to trace Rita`s past. Whilst this is going on, film director Adam (Justin Theroux) is having trouble coping with the studio of his latest movie, and he is having personal problems as well. Slowly, they will all be thrust together...

The movie begins as an ecletic mix of stories, wound together into a tight ball that slowly unravels, but of course - in true Lynchian fashion - doesn`t unravel completely. There are plenty of red herrings and subtle plot devices to keep the plot going nicely, and this movie relies on the viewer`s perceptions.

Prepare to enter a world where Lynch is at his most unconstrained and most welcome...

Video

It is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, and the visuals are well defined and deep. The palette is used excellently, and the print is constantly crisp and clear, with no compression signs evident.

The tone of the movie is defined in a key number of areas: and the visuals are definitely one of them. Mulholland Drive, due to its setting, has a glossy touch to certain scenes, perhaps done perhaps to depict the `skin deep` nature of Hollywood.

The camera plays an important part in the story - from adopting the POV of certain characters to angles depicting the emotions of the characters (for example, during a scene outside a diner, the camera is focusing on a high angle, as two characters descend down some stairs...perhaps suggesting that they are descending into an area out of their depth).

Audio

A DD 5.1 track is on offer, and the surrounds are used well. The main audio stream is crisp and clear, and the ambience level is just right. Mulholland Drive isn`t an action movie - so don`t expect the sub doing an amazing workout, but when needed, the surrounds do their job well.

The script is excellent, and on first viewing it seems good, intelligent and unique. On further examination, you will realise just how deep this is. In fact, I have to say that Mulholland Drive is one of the - if not the - most complex (but at the same time, rewarding) scripts I`ve ever had the fortune to come across.

The score is, like other elements in the movie, used to good effect - from the sombre and bleak tones to the sudden, abrubt, burst of sing-song, it all gels together to form an eerie and defining piece of the movie.

Features

This went through the Universal rental window, and has the following array of special features:

Interviews - this contains around 15 minutes of interviews with the main players - David Lynch, Justin Theroux, Laura Elena Harring and Naomi Watts. The interviews are PR fluff really, and offer no real insight into the movie, although they do have the odd moment.

Filmographies - the usual affair.

Trailer - could you vague this up for me?

The menus are static with some ambient music in the background.

Mulholland Drive is presented in a black Amaray case with a leaflet containing chapter listings.

Conclusion

As movies go, this is hard work to comprehend just what the hell Lynch is on about. But surely that`s the fun of a Lynch movie after all? Repeat viewings and much reflection are the order of the day when trying to understand every problem, as this is one complex cold-sweat-drenched nightmare.

But, when one does persevere and crack open Mulholland Drive, you will reveal an intricate mass of philosophical and intelligent ideas that are screaming to be understood. This is Lynch at his most powerful, a place where his visionary directing and incredibly intelligent scriptwriting can revel in all their glory - all wrapped up in a surreal, bleak world. The acting is excellent, from Justin Theroux`s toned-down performance as the frustrated Adam to Laura Elena Harring and Naomi Watts` performances as the two women thrust into a place where nothing is what it seems.

Disc wise, it is good quality wise, as the impressive visuals and encompassing audio will immediately draw you into the movie. However, the extras are really poor - a movie like this deserves a lot, lot more.

Overall, this is one of the best dramas (if that is the correct...really it is a bit of a genre-bender) from the past few years, and needs to be analysed and digested properly to fully appreciate it. Although the disc may lack slightly, this is still a recommended purchase.