a love story in the city of dreams

Mulholland Dr. ranks up there with The Straight Story and all of Twin Peaks (yes even the second season) as what I consider the best of David Lynch's creations, and this weekend I watched it again for the first time since seeing it multiple times in 2001.  I remember having endless discussions back in the day about WTF is going on in the movie and even had myself convinced I had all the pieces put together, though with Lynch any feeling of certainty never lasts long.  For me the key to the entire film is the scene in which Betty during her audition goes from bright-eyed naivete to screen-scorching sultry in the space of a heartbeat, hinting at the many layers of her character that are more clearly revealed much later and at her capacity for invention, and I'm not sure Naomi Watts has ever been as good as she is in this role.  Lynch too is fully in control of his medium here, from the stardust he sprinkles over the moment where Betty and the director played by Justin Theroux first see each other across a crowded soundstage (with angels practically singing in the background) to the intense sense of foreboding he cultivates as the film progresses, stretching the viewer's nerves tight even in Los Angeles' broad daylight.  Along the way there are references to other great films like Persona and Vertigo, flashes of black Lynchian humor, his always-amazing sound design, and of course a whole bucket of red herrings.  Mulholland Dr. never answers all of its own questions, but that's exactly why I love it so.