Intro: To celebrate this movie's 25th anniversary, they showed it again in cinemas and Niamh and I went to see it.
I was very excited—I hadn't seen this film in such a long time and, especially after discovering "Twin Peaks" last year, I was really looking forward to rewatching it with fresh eyes, a more evolved film taste, and a different mindset. The reality is, this was a chaotic watch for me and, especially at the beginning, I couldn't focus.
Before entering the cinema, we bumped into my ex and that was the first time we had seen each other after the break-up. This really threw me for a loop and impacted my ability to think straight for a while. I was eventually able to focus on the story and I'm glad I chose to stay, but what happened clearly ruined the vibe for me.
Film 2438: "Mulholland Drive" (2001), David Lynch
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I'm a big fan of "Twin Peaks" now and I'm glad I watched it last year before giving "Mulholland Drive" another go. Knowing David Lynch's POV a bit better definitely helped me understand this film more this time around. I remember the first time I watched it, I was very confused—extremely. I still had to check a few things online to clarify the ending, but other than that I was good to go.
I think this is such an iconic piece of media and so influential in many ways. There's obviously nothing I can add that hasn't already been said, celebrated, or analysed, so I'll just focus on what impressed me the most, starting with Naomi Watts. As a breakthrough performance, this is one for the ages. Imagine getting your big break working on a David Lynch movie—one this impactful—and delivering a performance like this. Here she shows exactly why she's the star she is. Iconic.
The soundtrack is another huge part of the experience and helps shape the story in a way that makes it impossible to imagine the film without it—or with a different one. I think Angelo Badalamenti deserved more recognition for it. His work, together with Lynch's vision, works hand in hand in shaping not only the "Mulholland Drive" universe, but also the broader world Lynch created, especially considering their collaborations on "Blue Velvet" (1986), "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (1992), "The Straight Story" (1999) and, of course, "Twin Peaks" (1990–1991; 2017).
It's strange how much I've been exposed to David Lynch's work lately. I'm grateful to the people who introduced me to it—it really changed my perspective on what a movie is, how we perceive it, and who's entitled to say what's right or wrong when it comes to cinema. I used to think that a film like this, or a TV series like "Twin Peaks", could never work for me because I'm "too pop" or mainstream. Lately, though, I've opened myself up to new things and different types of media and, very recently, I even went back to screenwriting. All of this has genuinely shifted both my perspective and my taste, and even though the journey isn't over, I can already see the changes.
So, thank you for all you did for cinema, Mr Lynch—you'll be greatly missed.
Film 143 - Mulholland Drive
Film 2438 - Mulholland Drive
Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Robert Forster, Michael J. Anderson, Lee Grant, Melissa George.
Box Office: $20.1 million
Worth a watch?: I understand that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely a film one should watch at least once. It's a lot to take in at first, especially if you're not familiar with David Lynch, but you might end up really enjoying "Mulholland Drive" and feel inspired to explore more of his work—and who knows, maybe you'll become a fan!
Awards: Nominated for Achievement in Directing at the 74th Academy Awards. 1 win at the BAFTAs for Best Editing over 2 nominations (Best Film Music) and 4 Golden Globes nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Director, Screenplay and Score. It won Best Foreign Film at the César Awards and Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival.
Key word: 6980.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
I was very excited—I hadn't seen this film in such a long time and, especially after discovering "Twin Peaks" last year, I was really looking forward to rewatching it with fresh eyes, a more evolved film taste, and a different mindset. The reality is, this was a chaotic watch for me and, especially at the beginning, I couldn't focus.
Before entering the cinema, we bumped into my ex and that was the first time we had seen each other after the break-up. This really threw me for a loop and impacted my ability to think straight for a while. I was eventually able to focus on the story and I'm glad I chose to stay, but what happened clearly ruined the vibe for me.
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I'm a big fan of "Twin Peaks" now and I'm glad I watched it last year before giving "Mulholland Drive" another go. Knowing David Lynch's POV a bit better definitely helped me understand this film more this time around. I remember the first time I watched it, I was very confused—extremely. I still had to check a few things online to clarify the ending, but other than that I was good to go.
I think this is such an iconic piece of media and so influential in many ways. There's obviously nothing I can add that hasn't already been said, celebrated, or analysed, so I'll just focus on what impressed me the most, starting with Naomi Watts. As a breakthrough performance, this is one for the ages. Imagine getting your big break working on a David Lynch movie—one this impactful—and delivering a performance like this. Here she shows exactly why she's the star she is. Iconic.
The soundtrack is another huge part of the experience and helps shape the story in a way that makes it impossible to imagine the film without it—or with a different one. I think Angelo Badalamenti deserved more recognition for it. His work, together with Lynch's vision, works hand in hand in shaping not only the "Mulholland Drive" universe, but also the broader world Lynch created, especially considering their collaborations on "Blue Velvet" (1986), "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (1992), "The Straight Story" (1999) and, of course, "Twin Peaks" (1990–1991; 2017).
It's strange how much I've been exposed to David Lynch's work lately. I'm grateful to the people who introduced me to it—it really changed my perspective on what a movie is, how we perceive it, and who's entitled to say what's right or wrong when it comes to cinema. I used to think that a film like this, or a TV series like "Twin Peaks", could never work for me because I'm "too pop" or mainstream. Lately, though, I've opened myself up to new things and different types of media and, very recently, I even went back to screenwriting. All of this has genuinely shifted both my perspective and my taste, and even though the journey isn't over, I can already see the changes.
So, thank you for all you did for cinema, Mr Lynch—you'll be greatly missed.
Film 143 - Mulholland Drive
Film 2438 - Mulholland Drive
@bbottone My boyfriend @gorysparkles introduced me to #TwinPeaks and for his birthday @niamh hassett and I recreated the red room scene to wish him #happybirthday. See you again in 25 years. #redroom #LauraPalmer #AgentCooper ♬ Dance of the Dream Man (Instrumental) - Angelo Badalamenti
Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Robert Forster, Michael J. Anderson, Lee Grant, Melissa George.
Box Office: $20.1 million
Worth a watch?: I understand that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely a film one should watch at least once. It's a lot to take in at first, especially if you're not familiar with David Lynch, but you might end up really enjoying "Mulholland Drive" and feel inspired to explore more of his work—and who knows, maybe you'll become a fan!
Awards: Nominated for Achievement in Directing at the 74th Academy Awards. 1 win at the BAFTAs for Best Editing over 2 nominations (Best Film Music) and 4 Golden Globes nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Director, Screenplay and Score. It won Best Foreign Film at the César Awards and Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival.
Key word: 6980.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
