Page 1 of Mulholland Drive

Read some really mixed reviews on this film, is it really as bad as some people made out??

I saw this at the National Spring Viewing Sessions at the NFT. The audience was asked to rate the film and the final tally was roughly equal Excellent to Awful. I found it to be two and a half hours of total confusion but it is certainly one of those films you keep think about long afterward and that is never a bad thing. And yes I will definitely buy it when it is released on Dvd!!

It`s not a film anyone could claim to watch once and walk away from with satisfaction in the hearts (except perhaps a satisfaction of a most twisted and rueful kind). However, a couple of very concentrated viewings later and the narrative does actually (mostly) make sense, and the uniqueness and baffling originality of the film becomes clear. Shame there`s not much below the surface however.

--Mike

I just got Mulholland Drive from ABSounds this morning. I haven`t watched it yet but it doesn`t seem to have chapter stops.

Some bad news on the extras front, as since the R1 disc just has a trailer and production notes (I think), chances are the R2 version will have the same or even less extras.

Here, have a review, courtesy of me -

MULHOLLAND DR. (2001) Dir. David Lynch

Lynch's last film was 'The Straight Story' and it did exactly what it said on the box - there were no deformed men, no midgets, no plots that looped back on themselves, no spice-obsessives; just one man on a trip across America to meet his dying brother on a tractor. Was this a signal of the direction Lynch was heading? Not likely!

'Mulholland Drive' starts off inconspicuously enough with the blooming friendship between 'Rita' (an amnesiac) and Betty (a budding movie actress) and their attempts to find out who 'Rita' actually is. Enter Dan who tells his therapist about a dream he had. Exit Dan, for the rest of the movie (except for one brief shot). Lynch then starts, alongside 'Rita' and Betty's story, to tell the viewer about Adam, a brilliant young director, frustrated by the faceless movie executives (one played by Lynch's long-time composer, Angelo Badalamenti) who are telling him how to cast his movie, and his adulterous wife. Just as the stories are beginning to converge and the identity of 'Rita' seems to be nearing some kind of conclusion Lynch hits us with the soon-to-be infamous 'Silencio' scene and then proceeds to rip the film totally and utterly apart, turning it completely on its head. The film then sky-rockets towards its end and reaches absolutely no conclusion about the questions raised earlier in the film.

It would be so easy to pass this film off as just a dream and so therefore there are no answers to anything as it's all just a dream and follows dream logic. However Lynch is far too clever to just leave it like this, and, believe me, there are answers to everything, though perhaps not to the questions you first thought were relevant. Figuring out the puzzle is fun and ultimately rewarding, The Cowboy who turns up to threaten Adam and talk metaphorically about buggies is a classic Lynch-ian character, and the film's anti-Hollywood undercurrent, which fantastically culminates in the 'Silencio' scene, is vicious and scathing but the film is sadly lacking in other parts. The plot is quite boring and doesn't move anywhere fast (the film is approaching 2 and a half hours long), Adam's character is quite interesting but is not focussed on enough and the film lacks much tension.

Even though the film suffers badly in comparison to 'Lost Highway' which features a much better puzzle, a great Möebius strip-like plot filled with suspense and terror and Bill Pullman, this film's good points pull it above it's mediocre plotline and it is rewatchable. A good film, almost great.
(7)

I have the seen the film twice now and it has for me got better with each viewing,I personally thinks its in the top 3 of Lynchs best films along with Elephant Man and Blue Velvet.
Also for anyone who has seen the film check out the link below to a great article entitled eveything you wanted to know about Mulholland Drive.
WARNING DO NOT FOLLOW THE LINK IF YOU HAVN`T SEEN THE FILM AS IT CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS.http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2001/10/23/mulholland_drive_analysis/index.html

nhouston

I watched it in the Cinema and it is challenging to follow it`s just about worthwhile in the end.(Cannot say the same for Lynch`s zany but captivating but totally confusing Lost Highway)
When you watched the convoluted manner of the film you will know why there are no chapter stops on the DVD

Jeff

This item was edited on Tuesday, 16th April 2002, 22:13

I`ve read that Lynch has said that "films aren't books and therefore shouldn`t have chapters", and all his existing films are being reissued without chapter stops, too.

Oh, how kind of him.

--Mike