A Nameless Blog

I’ve been on a pretty long movie kick these days.  Actually, it’s probably more than a ‘kick’ by now.  I’m precariously close to becoming a full-fledged cinephile.  The only thing holding me back is the relatively small list of films I’ve actually seen.

Anyway, I have half a reason for this post, so I’ll stop wasting your time.  I re-watched Mulholland Drive yesterday.  Great movie.  See it, but be patient with it.  It’s a lot like 2001 in that respect.

No, I’m not going on my standard movies-are-valuable-only-when-they-require-active-thought rant.  However true it is, I can only fellate Stanley Kubrick’s lifeless cock, then beat Michael Bay to death with it so many times.

Ahem.  Mulholland Drive.  I won’t give too much away by saying this (though even if I tried, it’d be hard with this particular film): I was moved by the scene where Naomi Watts masturbates.  And not in that way.  Mulholland Drive has some extremely erotic scenes, but the masturbation scene isn’t one of them.  It may sound odd to say this, but I think watching Naomi Watts’s character masturbate might be the most heartbreaking thing I’ve seen on film.  As much as Brian’s Song or Requiem for a Dream tear me up inside, neither has a ten-second period as suddenly, shockingly moving as that.

I guess this is a strange way to recommend Mulholland Drive.  It might take repeated viewings for the film (and the scene in question) to make sense (much less have an impact on you), but it’ll be worth it.

For those who have seen the movie (and loved it), I have two requests.  First, I defy you to come up with a more heartbreaking scene than the one in question.  Second, please let me know if there are any other movies remotely like this one.  I’ve read that most David Lynch films are as tangled and symbolic as Mulholland Drive, but for most of them, the untangled riddle reveals no rewarding plot points whatsoever.  (My sources could be wrong.)  I need another stunning mystery of a film that gets better the fifth time you see it.  More!  More!

Also: I was ashamed that I had gone over 21 years of living without seeing a single Fellini film.  I now understand the error of my ways.

-Darrell

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