Review of Mulholland Dr. (1999) by Kenneth B — 11 Apr 2012

While the majority of Lynch fans will cite Blue Velvet as his magnum opus, I will give that nod to Mulholland Drive. It is perhaps the only film that I can go back to every single time and find myself immersed in a unique state all over again.

I even gave Lynch's 10 clues a stab this time but they didn't seem to help. Ultimately this is probably a riddle best left unsolved, although I'm not certain that a definitive solution exists anyway.

I can't think of another film that has so many possible interpretations, many of which may well be correct but it doesn't even seem to matter if they are wrong. I do now believe that I understand the film in a way that makes narrative sense but even when the various plot threads hadn't come together in this way (i.

E. when I had previously seen the film) it didn't really matter. Lynch managed to find a way to present this story in a way provoked debate, provoked discussion and in fact such is the nature of the script, it seems possible that even he doesn't have the full story.

Yet it is coherent, beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, particularly by Watts. This is poetic film-making at its best which actively challenges the audience and provokes involvement in the process by its very nature.

Mulholland Drive is nigh on flawless, from the intricacies of the scripting, to the visuals and the delivery from the actors. Spine tingling.