Synopsis: A view of the fantasy of Hollywood, shared by all who have ever wanted to be a star, and the reality of what that town does to most people.

Review: This movie is a definite puzzle (or, to lift a famous quote, it's "A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma"), so I was very confused by the film the first time I saw it because I just couldn't put it together. But then I slept on it (well, not on the actual DVD disc, just with the movie in my head) letting my mind work it out as I slept (something that just works for me) and by the next morning, I had basically figured this movie out. Now I think it's an absolutely brilliant movie by David Lynch on the nature of Hollywood. It's difficult to talk about this movie at all without spoilers, so I recommend seeing it first before reading on...

My interpretation of the movie (SPOILERS):

My basic interpretation is the end section is the only "reality" in the film, so the blonde girl Betty/Diane is a struggling actress who has basically failed in Hollywood and so is depressed. She's also a lesbian and her brunette girlfriend Rita/Camilla just dumped her, which has depressed her even more. Therefore, in order to get back at her, the blonde hires someone to kill her brunette girlfriend (the "hit"). When she gets the "signal" that the deed has been done, she gets even more depressed and attempts suicide, shooting herself in the head. She doesn't die right away and, in her brain-damaged mind, has a deluded fantasy about the "hit" on her brunette girlfriend and her own life.

[This is just before the last scene, the "Silencio" scene, before the End Credits. Now, chronologically, it moves to the beginning of the film, which is her deluded fantasy]

The Blonde imagines her Brunette girlfriend actually escaped the "hit" (when the car accident happens) and stumbled away, ending up in that apartment. Now the Blonde imagines an idealized version of herself entering this imagined story, arriving in Hollywood for the first time, all bright-eyed and cheerfully upbeat (completely unlike the "real" her - this is how she would *like* to see herself). The Idealized Blonde meets the "mysterious" Brunette in the apartment and they "click" (to put it gently). The Blonde also starts her attempt at becoming an actress and - unlike what's said about her career in the "reality" scenes - her auditions go extremely well and she's on her way to a successful acting career. But, meanwhile, the story with the Brunette continues and takes on a "Nancy Drew" type of "fun" mystery. However, unraveling this mystery will eventually just gradually lead back towards "reality" as the Blonde finally succumbs to her self-inflicted gunshot wound and her mental fantasy stops ("Silencio").

Lynch also mixed in some other surreal storylines, particularly one about a director that had virtually nothing to do with the Blonde/Brunette story, but seem more like a reflection on his own experiences as a director in Hollywood.

In conclusion, I think "Mulholland Dr" is an absolutely brilliant movie that twists together, in a "David Lynch" way, the "Dream of Hollywood" and the "Reality of Hollywood". I think it's Lynch's third masterpiece, next to "Eraserhead" and "Blue Velvet".

BTW, I think the best way to watch it in a way that it makes sense would be to watch the end section first (the "reality" scenes: from after the opening of the box until almost the end credits) and then watch it from the beginning (the "fantasy" scenes: from the opening credits until the opening of the box, which is the death of the blonde - also symbolically represented by a final jump ahead to the last "Silencio" scene: Silencio means "Silence" in English... the Blonde is now dead.)

Of course, that's just my interpretation of it.

Film Rating (Epinions Scale): 5/5 stars
Film Rating (Detailed Scale): A [ART HOUSE]

(P.S. The film "Vanilla Sky" is somewhat similar to this film in the whole deluded fantasy aspect. But, while this one is very complex and leaves it up to the viewer to figure it all out, "Vanilla Sky" is more simplistic and almost everything is all spelled out at the end. In fact, the only thing to ponder in that film is "When was the splice?")

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age