MULHOLLAND DRIVE

Just one question: what the heck is this film about?

After a bizarre prolonged bout of shot-on-video dancing at the start, the film begins proper with an intriguing scene where Rita (Laura Harring) is sat in the back of a limousine coursing down Mulholland Drive late one night. In the passenger seat, a man sits with a pistol pointed at her. Suddenly the car stops and Rita is ordered to get out. At that moment two boy racers come tearing round the corner and smash into the stationery car. The male passengers are wiped out. Rita is sent reeling into the greenery of the Hollywood hills.

She eventually makes her way down to the luminous strip of Sunset Boulevard below and takes refuge in the first building she comes upon, unaware of where she is or - so it would seem - who she is.

Meanwhile, bright-eyed Betty (Naomi Watts) arrives off an aeroplane the following morning, with aspirations of making it as an actress. She's headed towards her aunt's apartment, where she's been told she can stay while her relative is away travelling.

Inevitably, Betty and Rita are thrown together when the former discovers the latter in the apartment's bathroom. A strained relationship is formed as Betty strives to help the sultry brunette amnesiac rediscover her identity ... and uncover the secrets to explain how she got into such a predicament in the first place. The primary clue at their disposal is the contents of Rita's purse: a shitload of cash and a key ...

For the first three-quarters of MULHOLLAND DRIVE, writer-director David Lynch (INLAND EMPIRE; BLUE VELVET etc) weaves an intricate and engrossing mystery thriller around this premise. Frequent asides to incidental characters ensure Lynch's trademark surrealism is never far away, with scenes involving the likes of a sinister dwarf, or a horribly disfigured apparition, seemingly existing simply to make the film even more convoluted.

But it's only when the film reaches its final act - the last 30 minutes or so - that the conundrum really spins a curveball in the viewer's direction and renders the remaining plot virtually indecipherable. What are the contents of the fabled blue box, believed to be the answer to the girls' questions? And what secrets lie within the ominous Silencio club?

Piecing this jigsaw together is a thankless task, mainly because Lynch has purposely designed his puzzle to go beyond even the most devoted viewers' grasp. For some, this will be part of the film's delicious allure. For others, the effect will be simply infuriating.

But, either way, one thing is for certain: MULHOLLAND DRIVE is consistently watchable. A rich Noir style dictates that the film looks wonderful; Angelo Badalamenti's awesome score is successfully scary; each quirky scene is its own memorable set-piece; and, come on, where else are you going to find such a concoction of murder, intrigue, kangaroos, midgets and THAT infamous lesbian scene - not to mention a sublime cast that includes Billy Ray Cyrus, Robert Forster, Lee Grant, James Karen, Dan Hedaya and more?

The cast are all true to their reputation and come up trumps, helping Lynch achieve a truly penetrating atmosphere of suspense, sleaze and the genuinely odd. And, bearing in mind that this was originally conceived as a pilot for a proposed television show that was abandoned, the plot - as impossible as it is - does make more sense (!) as a singular, 146-minute film. Optimum's Region B-locked blu-ray disc comes as part of their increasingly impressive Studio Canal Collection, and therefore is housed in one of those now-standard "book"-style foldout card cases. Inside the case (but not available for review purposes) is a booklet containing an essay by Adam Woodward.

The film itself is presented on a 50GB blu-ray disc, in 1080p. The transfer, a 16x9 enhanced 1.85:1 affair, is a generally nice one. Some images have a soft look to them, but I gather that this is a consequence of the cameras some scenes were shot on - with television in mind. Others, many of the night exteriors and the stunning club scenes towards the end, are quite superb. Sharp, clear, vibrant - and with a natural thin layer of grain to appease all the anti-DNR bores.

All in all, the picture is a solid representation of this highly stylised film. It's not one you'd use to showcase the capabilities of your HD system, but it is the best the film has looked on these shores - and I'm struggling to imagine it looking any better.

Audio is proffered in English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and is predictably impressive. The sinister use of sound design is brought to the fore in this intelligently well-balanced mix, discreetly upping the tension while never distracting from the film itself. Master Audio mixes are also provided in French and Italian.

Optional subtitles are available in Italian, French and Dutch.

A subtle pop-up menu includes a scene-selection menu that - weirdly - offers no chapter stops, but instead propels you to any random point in the film. It's a neat gimmick that ties in with Lynch's previous DVD requests to release his films devoid of chapters (he insists his films should always be digested in full), but it could also potentially be annoying if for whatever reason you wanted to skip to a specific scene.

Extras begin with a 10-minute video introduction from French director Thierry Jousse. He talks about the gestation of the film from thwarted TV pilot to bloated, partly French funded feature. This is presented in French with optional English subtitles.

"In The Blue Box" is a 27-minute featurette where more filmmakers (again, mostly French) gush some more over the film. It's ironic to see DONNIE DARKO director Richard Kelly here - once touted as a potential successor to Lynch's throne, all he can do now is look on in awe. This featurette also comes equipped with optional English subtitles where need be.

"Back To Mulholland Drive" follows. This is an excellent 24-minute documentary that, with the aid of French narration (again, subtitles are available) attempts to elaborate on Lynch's famous "10 clues" to unlocking the mysteries of the film's maddening plot. It makes for interesting food for thought, and leaves you itching to sit through the film at least once more.

An archive 23-minute Making Of documentary features lots of great on-set footage, and reveals - among other things - Lynch's love of the word "beautiful".

Finally we get two archive interviews (a 16-minute chat with composer Badalamenti; a 6-minute natter with producer/editor Mary Sweeney) and a more recent retrospective audio interview with Badalamenti (10 minutes).

The introduction and "In The Blue Box" are presented in HD; all the other extras are presented in standard definition.

So, what is MULHOLLAND DRIVE all about? Fuck knows. But it's as compelling as it is frustrating, as absorbing as it is mind-numbing. Whether it deserves its spot on so many "Top 10 of the 21st Century" lists ... I'm not sure. But it is good, and frequently excellent. And, best of all, quite unique.

The blu-ray is marvellous too, making this a highly recommended whole.

Review by Stuart Willis