After 20+ years, the word “Lynchian” should be added to the dictionary as an adjective for films that gleefully distort reality and embrace the unsettling notion of quirk. Director David Lynch wouldn’t mind. He prides himself on walking a different path, which if you analyze all of his films back to back actually is the same path, though it can only be described as … “Lynchian.”
His latest, “Mulholland Drive,” actually possesses a stronger narrative than some of the director’s more twisty works, but only if you shuttle 75% of it from your memory once the film’s shocking conclusion is revealed. Once a planned TV series that was rejected by ABC, “Drive” stars Naomi Watts as an aspiring actress newly-arrived in Tinsletown who shelves her career dreams to help a beautiful amnesiac (Laura Herring) piece together her checkered past.Along the way, Lynch introduces an array of characters that may or may not mean much to the central plot. A director (Justin Theroux), having a particularly horrible day, battles to get his leading lady cast, only to go home and find out his wife’s cheating on him. A paranoid man explains his nightmares to a psychiatrist over lunch, then faints before he can fully confront his fears. And a performer at a late-night show delivers chills … and a mysterious blue box. Confused? Well, watching the film probably won’t clear things up much. When ABC pulled the rug out from underneath Lynch’s project, the director scrambled to complete a feature-length version of the film. It works, though few elements achieve a stable conclusion, lacking the time and attention a TV series probably would have paid. However, if you’ve ever wanted to experience the dream state while awake, “Mulholland Drive” is your ticket there.Grade: B+THE EXTRASWhat extras? The “Drive” DVD, released by Universal, contains only the film’s trailer, though it’s more Lynch’s fault than the studios. He’s admitted to hating features on DVDs, and chooses not to include them. So be it. You earn your grade.Grade: D-OVERALL EXPERIENCE: B+Still, even without features and supplements, the “Drive” DVD is worth the time. Lynch has crafted a headache-inducing masterpiece that will be embraced by his fans, and rightfully ignored by the masses.By Sean O’ConnellApril 25, 2002