MULHOLLAND DR.

After a brutal car crash on Mulholland Drive, Rita (Harring) is left with no memory of her life before the accident. Aspiring actress Betty Elms (Watts) becomes intrigued with her situation and decides to help Rita discover who she is and what happen to her. As they investigate they become embroiled in a dangerous game involving a director, a nightclub and a mysterious blue box.

Few filmmakers can be classed as unique but when it comes to describing the work of David Lynch, there is not a better word and 'Mulholland Dr.' is a classic example of this.

Since 1977's 'Eraserhead' David Lynch has mesmerised and confused cinematic and television audiences around the world. Films like 'Wild at Heart', 'Blue Velvet', 'Lost Highway' and his TV series 'Twin Peaks' gave the director cult status amongst cinephiles but Lynch is not just a filmmaker trapped a world of surrealism. He has also produced more accessible movies like 'The Elephant Man', 'Dune' and 'The Straight Story' but he will be forever know a visionary genius that viewers will either hate or adore.

'Mulholland Dr.' has all of Lynch's surreal hallmarks and gained him the best director award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, as well as numerous nominations including Oscar recognition. Again the film is uncompromising in its vision and reminiscent of the world he created in his television programme 'Twin Peaks'. This is a Los Angeles where dreams and reality mix and the strange and bizarre are commonplace.

The movie centres on two female protagonists, aspiring actress Betty Elms and the beautiful Rita. Her beauty hides a dark past however, which she has to discover after suffering complete amnesia when she is involved in a car accident on Mulholland Drive. The pair then try to discover who Rita actually is and what happen for her to be involved in a car crash. This may sound simple but of course you have to remember that you are watching a David Lynch movie.

He creates a world full of strange and wonderful characters that will captivate and repulse. From the strange singers and performers at Club Silencio to the cowboy, the movie introduces us to both good and evil but continues to blur the line between them. Bringing these characters to life is an ensemble cast that David Lynch pushes to there very limit. Both Naomi Watts as Betty and Laura Herring as Rita are excellent, with this movie launching Naomi Watts onto superstardom. Justin Theroux shines as director Adam Kesher, a man drawn into his own story and intrigued the mystery of the blue box. The rest of the cast are equally as good drawing you into this world.

The problem with most David Lynch movies is accessibility and 'Mulholland Dr.' suffers from this restriction. This is a movie that you cannot really understand what is going on. With narrative all over the place, as twist in the middle that basically changes the whole prospective of the movie and characters that are complete bizarre, it is fair to say that David Lynch's movies are an acquired taste. For fans however, you will revel in the surreal world he creates but even you won't be able to unravel exactly what is going on. The difference is that fans won't care as they are captivated by this story of identity, reality and the human mind.

'Mulholland Dr.' is David Lynch at his most creative and his most peculiar. With performances that will draw you in and repulse, scare and mesmerise you and a storyline that is almost impossible to follow, none of this will deter your fascination with the movie if you are a fan of the filmmaker. For everyone else this is an introduction to a filmmaker that will make you stand up and take notice but you won't really understand what he is trying to say.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with Dolby Digital 5.1 and dts soundtracks, the transfer is very good.

BONUS FEATURES

Interviews
Writer/director David Lynch, Justin Theroux, Laura Harring, Naomi Watts, Mary Sweeney and Angelo Badalamenti appear in individual video interviews to talk about the story, the characters and the all-important road. David Lynch talks about making the movie and his cast talk about working with the writer/director.

Behind the Scenes (6.22 mins)
Watch B-Roll footage from the recording of the movie. See David Lynch filming in the café, in the limo, on Mulholland Dr. and in the diner.

Trailers
Watch the theatrical trailers for 'Mulholland Dr.' and 'Inland Empire'

Cannes Press Conference (18.24 mins)
Watch the complete press conference recorded at the Cannes Film Festival 2001. The group reveal what the theme of the movie is about and what it means to them. They also talk about the characters and the casting. This is an interesting insight into the reaction of the press to the screening at the festival.

OVERALL

For a two disc special edition, this is extremely disappointing. With only a collection of short interviews, a press conference and some B-Roll footage, there is nothing really special about this release. Fans will be extremely disappointed with this DVD.

DVD

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