Film: Mulholland Drive

What's on Mubi was relevant for today, as Meetup's only offerings for the day are in person (which I can't yet get to, with travel restrictions), or on BBC's iPlayer, which I can't access from abroad. The next-highest rated offering on Mubi was Woman at War, an Icelandic film about a woman whose environmental activism may threaten her ability to adopt a child. But gee - they just uploaded Mulholland Drive! A David Lynch film, it stars Naomi Watts as a Hollywood ingenue who gets involved with trying to help a young woman who's been in a car crash recover her memory. And somehow, I missed seeing it.. well yes, that was quite acceptable! What excellent timing..

I had some buffering issues, but nothing major. And as I watched the rain lash the window, it felt just right to be watching a film.. And wow, what a film. Award-winning, and apparently featured on various "favourites" lists, it's surreal, vivid, sexy, completely unexpected. Everything is exaggerated, it feels as though the emphasis is always placed on the wrong thing. It's film noir, but with some hilarious scenes - and as the story reaches an end, you might wish it reached a conclusion.. instead, you must hope that you paid enough attention throughout, as it gets quite confusing. In fact, there's an in-depth analysis of characters and possible plot on the Wikipedia page devoted to the film.

Not for everyone, but if you don't mind being confused by a film, this may well be the film for you! I adored it. Available for the next 30 days on Mubi.

Tomorrow, Up in the Cheap Seats is watching The Hired Man - too late in the day for me, so I'm thinking of watching it earlier. Who knows when I'll get to a Meetup again..?