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Mulholland Drive


45.



Mulholland Drive: 2001 (R) NEW
USA / Universal
81% (CF)





We move from the film directors of my childhood, to a film director who has become one of my favorites only recently; the strange and surreal David Lynch. And while I was first exposed to his work when I was a kid via the Sci-Fi Channel with Dune; that is a film that is still pretty far and away from his usual oeuvre. This film on the other hand is much closer to his usual style, and many people (MoFo or otherwise) consider it his masterpiece. This film does have that Lynchian touch to it, but it does not go FULL Lynch the same way Eraserhead and Inland Empire did. It is a perfect balance between the surreal nature of his films, and a somewhat traditional narrative. Showing enough restraint where you have enough to go on to try and follow a story (in this case an erotic mystery), but still plenty of surreal images and sequences. And let’s face it; I am still trying to find out the meaning to a lot of this movie. But that is half the fun of Lynch’s work. His films are meant to be rewatched, multiple times if needed to try and get a better understanding of his work. And even though you may not know what exactly is going on, the films are still beautiful to watch. Whether you see this film as some sort of commentary on the Hollywood system, or the comparison of the fantasy and reality of becoming a big star in Tinseltown; the man is certainly unique in his vision and execution. I really wish he would make another movie. This is the first, but not the last Lynch film on this list.