On a few occasions in my life, and I can count the number of such occasions on one hand, I have reached the end of a film and wanted to immediately watch it again from the beginning. Notable examples are *Memento* and *Donnie Darko*. Films that are designed to pay off on the second viewing, assuming that you weren’t sleeping through it the first time round. *Mulholland Drive*, you may have gathered, is such a film. One day, I anticipate that this movie will be one of my all-time favourites.
The secret to enjoying this film is to pay attention. Imagine that you are a detective, presented with a series of seemingly unrelated clues. They may not make sense now, but commit them to memory, for you will need to be able to recall them all later in order to piece the puzzle together.
It’s stimulating, and somewhat challenging, but definitely not directionless. Yes, it’s not all spelled out for you. Yes, events are not portrayed in strict chronological order. But isn’t that realistic? Real life isn’t spelled out in detail. In real life, information never comes to you as and when it happens – it comes after the event, in the form of gossip from friends and headlines on the news websites. You have to take the information, put it in order, and fill in the gaps. That’s what your brain is for. And that is why this film is so engaging. It’s brain exercise, and without your input, it is worth nothing.