Mulholland Drive

In terms of sheer weirdness, Lynch stands alone at the top of the totem pole. Mulholland Drive is much of the same, containing those complete 180 degree turns that make the story revolve around itself, blurring the lines between dream and reality. Like vintage Lynch, it's a brilliantly shot and scored film, masterfully capturing the darkness of the storyline, the foreboding mood of the proceedings, and the somber tone that seems to envelop the characters like a glove. However, unlike his latest foray into weirdness Lost Highway (The Straight Story was made in between), Lynch is able to construct a story that is interesting and powerful. Containing simple, yet startlingly effective scenes that seemingly utilize all the senses, Mulholland Drive is nothing short of compelling for its entire running time.

Lynch has created complex characters with unique motives and spun them around a screenplay that frequently plays off humor and horror. The center of the story centers upon Betty and Rita. Betty, a naive blond with aspirations of Hollywood glory, meets up with Rita, the lone survivor of an accident that has crippled her memory. Their relationship is surprisingly genuine, culminating in a beautifully sensual love scene between the two. Throw in an emerging Hollywood director, an insanely jealous woman named Diane, a hitman, and The Cowboy, and you've got something that resembles the character roster for Lynch's latest.

Even while recognizing all the elements of a great film, I cannot claim to understand it. I was enraptured, trying my hardest to piece it together but frustrated that I couldn't. There are so many exchanged identities and complicated relationships that after one viewing, I'm completely without a clue. What I do know, however, is that in the case of Mulholland Drive, ignorance is bliss.

On a scale of 1 to 10 sexual auditions : 9

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