Hey folks, Harry here with another review of Lynch's MULHOLLAND DRIVE, one of the flicks I was dying to hear about from Cannes... btw, did anyone see CQ? I am dying to hear how that one was... Of course I still need to read all the Euro Reports that went up while I was at Cannes (I'm flooded trying to go through emails and past stories... INSANE BUSY... Here ya go....
Hey Harry... I saw you posted a review of the first Mulholland Drive screening already, but who knows... maybe you (and the countless Lynch fans) want another one...
Do you like Twin Peaks? do you like Lost Highway? Do you like Twin Peaks AND Lost Highway? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then chances are you'll enjoy Mulholland Drive.
Most of you know the fiasco surrounding this movie (axed TV-Pilot, etc) and most people who are remotely interested in the movie know the plot, so I will briefly comment on some of the aspects of the movie itself.
This is a David Lynch movie, make no mistake about it. A lot of people think/thought that "Straight Story" would herald in some bold new era for Lynch... if Mulholland Drive is any indication, this is not the case. However, this is Lynch at his finest. Imagine the mysterious feel and look of Lost Highway, and combine it with the characters and situations that could come right out of Twin Peaks... that's what Mulholland Drive is.
Solid performances all around, but it does have a fairly "TV-ish" feel to it... most likely because it was (gasp) supposed to air on TV. Personally, I did not mind (I consider the Twin Peaks pilot to be THE BEST two hours of television ever) the TV feel of it, but I can definitely say that this will be the #1 problem most people will have with the film. Lots of great "Lynchian" characters... I especially LOVED "The Cowboy" and "The Magician". It was also good to see two women iin the forefront of much of the action... many people complain women always take the backseat in Lynch films.
My only true criticism of Mulholland Drive is that it leaves you dying for more. As said a thousand times, this is essentially a pilot for a TV show.... it sets up many great characters and situations, many of which are either forgotten about or just never touched upon again. Like in Twin peaks, I am sure had Mulholland Drive become a series, everyone would have had their fair share of screen time... but this is a movie, not a series. Thus, it falls short in that area.
Make no mistake: Mulholland Drive is NOT for everyone. If you hated Lost Highway or Twin Peaks, youll most likely hate Mulholland Drive. It just has that same feel to it. Many people like that feel, many don't. If you like "art" films, you'll probably dig it.
I, for one, was completely entranced during the entire 2 and a half hours. It's like being sucked into someone's dream.
Final Note/Sumamry: This is NOT Lynch's best movie, but definitely not his worst. This movie is not for everyone (it is also NOT a remake of Mulholland Falls... the Nick Nolte movie, which many people seem to think it is for some reason). Overall, I'd give it *** out of four, and I'm anxiously awaiting it's theatrical release, and/or DVD!
Jack-T
PS: I really don't think Lynch is retreading any old territory with this. Sure, it's dream-like and has Lynchian qualities, but that is the equivalent of saying every action movie that is released is a copy of each other just because there is action in it.
