This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Scarlett Worthington’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
A Hollywood story that’s not what it seems.
Definitely one of the most unique and most successful storytelling/narrative risks taken and of course it’s Lynch who pulls it off in his particularly peculiar yet encapsulating way. Considering it’s a 2000s film it feels quite a bit older and I mean that in the best way it’s got a rustic old Hollywood feel to it in terms of atmosphere and not only does that fit the content of Mulholland drive but it’s able to unconsciously trigger this weird sort of nostalgia feeling within you (very hard to describe and this may be a biased thought process but either way it is a major aspect of the film). It did feel reminiscent of Old Hollywood movies or storylines especially Sunset Boulevard which I think Lynch purposely tried to utilise to fuel the plot but a lot of films seem to do or attempt that but Lynch not only reveals that the film is completely what it’s not, he does it in a incredibly unsettling way. This usually could catch you off guard, sometimes so much so you can’t pay attention to what happens after, but Lynch embedded loads of tiny elements and details throughout that feel very off balance to what you think it should be so that you are always aware of something else. That’s the films matey I think.
It seems like the perfect exploration of the disillusionment of the Hollywood dream as is is through a dream that this trope is explored. Very simple but I mean that’s what Mulholland Drive is and I think it’s manage to remain timeless and so influential because of that simplicity because it’s just done so well. I don’t think I did this film justice in my review at all but yes I now do understand the hype and it’s something I now want to show to everyone I know and definitely watch again.
Also a month or so ago when I reviewed Under the Silverlake (review here: boxd.it/1a5vdt) and said I didn’t understand why people didn’t like it, I think someone said it was just Mulholland Drive redone not as good and I do see that now (even though I do still rate that film highly).
