Mulholland Falls (1996) User Reviews (141)

If you're paying attention, it's not a half-bad movie.

[AnnieP · 7/10 · 15 February 2001]

First of all, let's get this straight - the story takes place in 1953, not the '40's. Now - you've got these four guys riding around in a convertible in bad L.A. There's a comic aspect to this little ritual, kind of Abbott and Costello times 2, but it's hard to know who's the straight man.

The plot is not a new one, but the violence has (at least) the merit of being real person-to-person violence (as differentiated from being acted in front of a blue screen and digitally augmented). There are too many "name" actors here, and (I'll grant) not much character development, but it's a chance to watch Nick Nolte and Bruce Dern do their signature performances - Nick, impassive and looming large, has played this role many times before, and always to good effect. He was better doing it in "Q&A", but that was TOO real, and a much too scary. Bruce Dern's overacting is almost reassuring and one of the few animated performances in the picture.

Melanie is subdued, being the window dressing, and they have her wearing shoulder pads, which wasn't a fifties thing, but she gives a good performance without any of the lip-licking she usually resorts to. The photography is good, the desert ominous, and watching evil Treat Williams get thrown out of the plane most entertaining.

It's not Chekov, it's not anything wonderful at all, but it reeks of ambience. I'd recommend it as an evening's entertanment. Much better, certainly, than the stuff that passes as entertainment on the big screen most of the time.

Sure wish they'd given Michael Madsen more screen time - what if they'd pushed Chaz Palmintieri out of the plane early on and beefed Mike's role? Whadya say?

Atmosphere, Photography Outshine The Story

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 24 February 2008]

As a fan film noir, I loved the 1940s and '50s period atmosphere in this movie. This particular story takes place in the early 1950s. Parts of this reminded me of "Chinatown," but this film doesn't have the impact of that one. It's just not as memorable.

You get an idea that this might be another cops-or government officials-are-a- little-over the top when you see who plays them: Nick Nolte, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Chazz Palminteri, Treat Williams, Bruce Dern, John Malkovich, Ed Lauter, Andrew McCarthy, etc. Those guys usually play crooks, not cops. Same with the women in here. Jennifer Connelly and Melanie Griffith aren't exactly Irene Dunne and Doris Day!

We also see CSI star William Petersen playing a Chicago mobster! Unbilled in this film were Louise Fletcher, of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" fame, and Rob Lowe.

This story is a rough-edged for my tastes, with the normal political agendas (government is bad.....again) thrown in here and there, but what I really liked - outside of the look, the "whodunit" angle and the deep cast, was Haskell Wexler's photography. He makes it fun to watch, even if it is no "Chinatown" or "The Big Sleep."

Pretty good cop thriller (spoilers within).

[vertigo_14 · 7/10 · 13 May 2004]

Looking at the four stern faces of the suited men on the cover, you'd think this was yet another movie about gangsters. But it isn't. Fans of another fantastic period cop drama, L.A. Confidential, should enjoy this film, as they are quite similar in theme. Like Russle Crowe's hard-edged cop character in L.A. Confidential, the four cops in this movie, do what they must to dispense justice. Despite their violent methods, they are nonetheless vigilante about justice.

Unorthodox and often unethical Los Angeles cops, Max Hoover (Nick Notle), Elleroy Coolige (Chaz Palminteri), Eddie Hall (Mike Madsen), and Arthur Relyea (Chris Penn), do what they can from keeping the trash from moving into the city. Tossing gangsters down Mullholland Falls, the symbolic dumping site for the exiled criminals, and tearing up coke dealers and pimps with a handy black jack, these cops don't take crap. (It should be interesting enough at this point to see both Penn and Madsen not playing their usual roles as sadistic gangsters).

The four cops are preoccupied with a new investigation after Max's former lover, Allison Pond (Jennifer Connelly), is discovered dead in a development yard. The case tests Max's limits on the ability to sift out the suspects and overcome whatever obstacles stand in his way of justice. At first, it seems as though this is just another story in which the villain turns out to be zealous leaders of the mafia who go to all ends to get what they wants (usually a profit venture). But that is not the case here. Max and the gang find themselves going up against the government and military, implicating Atomic Energy Commissioner (John Malkovich) and an eager Colonel (Treat Williams), to find out what is what that Allison was involved with that lead to her death. The movie takes place during the 1940s around New Mexico's White Plains nuclear testing site, and makes some challenges to the ethics of nuclear testing.

This movie has a tremendous cast, even in minor roles. Nick Nolte does a fantastic job, as does John Malckovich in the role of the dreamy, dying Atomic Energy Commissioner.

I also compare this film to L.A. Confidential because it seemed like some of the settings (and even the arrangement of scenes) are very similar to those used in the former. For example, Max Hoover's house (especially the living room and bedroom) looked almost identical to the one where Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito break into the house in the beginning to bust up a minor "pot party." The bedroom looked much like that one for Kim Basinger's house as well. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the same people involved in Mullholland Falls likewise worked on L.A. Confidential.

It isn't your traditional cop drama/political thriller because of the nature of the main characters. They don't always play by the rules, but in the end, they are the good guys. And, it's got a good finale.

Nice Nostalgia piece

[Bynovekka1 · 11 May 2001]

Nick Nolte must have thought he died and went to heaven when he was offered the part of Max Hoover in Mulholland Falls. Consider, in the film Hoover is married to the lovely Melanie Griffith while simultaneously involved in a torrid affair with ultra sexy Jennifer Connelly. Now I ask you, what sane man could turn down such a part? To Nolte's credit he kept his mind on business and turned in a excellent performance.

As Hoover, Nolte is head of a post world war 2 Los Angeles police division assigned the task of keeping organized crime out of the city of Angels. Given cart blanch by their superiors Hoover's crew often resort to brutal even murderous means in carrying out their duty. Their favorite disposal site for human garbage is Mulholland Falls; a rocky cliff nestled in the hollywood hills.

One day the squad investigates the death of a young woman found in the nearby desert. To Hoover's horror he discovers the body to be that of Allison Pond, (Connelly), a pretty prostitute who was his former mistress.

Finding no clues on the murder site Hoover checks out Allison's apartment. While there Hoover realizes the apartment is the site of sex film anonymously sent to him days before. Hoover quickly discovers the films origin point in a neighboring apartment. He then just as quickly makes contact with the individual who took the films. Said person was secertly taking the movies to blackmail some of Allison's more influential clients including Hoover himself. Unfortunately, for Hoover the films are stolen before he can take them into custody.

Later, when Hoover begins zeroing in on one of Allison's especially influential clients as a possible suspect in her killing he is pressured by everyone from the FBI to his superiors to backoff. He refuses but soon has second thoughts when a mysterious source threatens to use the missing film to reveal his affair to his wife.

As previously stated Nolte's protrayal is top notch but he is not alone. Several solid supporting performances including Griffith, Connelly, Bruce Dern and Chazz Palmeterri lend quality to the proceedings.

Film noir in the 90's

[rainking_es · 7/10 · 16 November 2006]

Along with movies such as "The public eye" or "LA Confidencial", "Mulholland Falls" is one of those products that aim to recreate the atmosphere of film noir, making everything look a little bit more modern, more violent….

"Mulholland Falls" moves between the thriller and the detective movies, and the cast is its strong point: Nolte, Palminteri, Penn, Maden… four time bombs, four real tough guys. When Nolte or Palminteri lose their temper you'd rather not be around… Murder, questions, a good script, great actors… Nice movie.

*My rate: 7/10

The Rule Book Is Out

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 24 January 2008]

Nick Nolte heads the cast of Mulholland Falls which came out a year earlier than L.A. Confidential and covered the same time period with similar themes. L.A. Confidential is a much better film, but Mulholland Falls does have its supporters.

The title refers to no waterfall because as a bad guy in the film so aptly put it, there aren't any waterfalls in Los Angeles. What it is, is a cliff off Mulholland Drive in which Nolte and his elite squad make a habit of throwing wise guys off. If they survive they have the option of a further trip or go back where they came from.

This was in the days of Chief William F. Parker of Los Angeles who took over one of the most corrupt police forces in the country. He dealt with systemic corruption in much the same manner J. Edgar Hoover did in taking over the corrupt Federal Bureau of Investigation after the Teapot Dome Scandal. Both men were authoritarian in the methods and their temperament. And both men have their supporters and detractors to this day.

But the main body of the film concerns a homicide of party girl Jennifer Connelly who as it turns out was not only involved with Nick Nolte, but with U.S. Army General John Malkovich who was just appointed to the Atomic Energy Commission.

Malkovich has an aide in Colonel Treat Williams who is every bit as extra legal as Nolte and his squad are. In this case the rule book is out on both sides.

In addition to those mentioned some nice performances are given by Melanie Griffith as Nolte's wife, Andrew McCarthy as the photographer and friend of Connelly who taped her sexual sessions. And stealing every scene he's in is Chazz Palmenteri as Nolte's partner, undergoing psychological therapy.

Though L.A. Confidential is definitely the superior film, if you liked that film, you'll no doubt like Mulholland Falls.

A forgotten '90s noir

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 11 July 2010]

A top drawer cast stars in "Mulholland Falls," a 1996 film starring Nick Nolte, Chazz Palmentieri, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Connelly, Michael Madsen, Treat Williams, Bruce Dern, and John Malkovich, directed by New Zealand director Lee Tamahori.

Sometimes when I don't know the year of a film, I try to guess. I placed this film in 1998 because I concluded it must have come after "L.A. Confidential" since it's about '50s crime investigation. Also, Jennifer Connelly is very young here - reminiscent of the way she looked in "Dark City." I was two years off.

The story concerns the L.A. Hat Squad, led by Max Hoover (Nolte) called to investigate the brutal murder of Allison Pond (Jennifer Connelly). When her body is turned over, Hoover realizes it's an ex-girlfriend. He's never told his wife (Melanie Griffith) about the affair, stating that he had the affair, it ended, no one got hurt, and to tell her would hurt her deeply. The investigation of the murder leads to a general (John Malkovich), an atom bomb testing site, secret film footage, and military secrets.

Very good performances from everyone - had Nolte been able to keep his life together, he could have been up there with the very greatest. He's always been capable of truly great performances, all the way back to the "Rich Man, Poor Man" days. Here one can feel his tremendous sadness and weariness. It's a pall that hangs over the entire film. Jennifer Connelly, whose part isn't very large, is gorgeous, sexy, and tough. Melanie Griffith gives a mature performance as Hoover's wife. Uncredited in the film are Rob Lowe and Louise Fletcher. There is a very exciting scene at the end of the movie.

"Mulholland Falls" never received the attention that "L.A. Confidential" did. One can blame marketing, but the story isn't special enough, the characters not as well delineated, and the pace is a bit too leisurely. This isn't to say it's not a good film. It's just not exceptional.

I applaud anyone who does a period noir that comes off like a noir and not a bad attempt. There, "Mullholland Falls" succeeds admirably.

The Untouchables go to Chinatown...

[mhoney-1 · 7/10 · 18 March 2004]

...Or at least that's kind of what this movie reminds me of in only the most basic ways. This film is okay, with good performances and a mildly-engaging plot, but the finale is kind of lackluster. Mulholland Falls is where the elite L.A. Hat Squad takes unwanteds to teach them a lesson. Nick Nolte is the world-weary boss. This is not one of his best performances, and he seems to overact just a little bit. Chazz Palminteri is his best friend, a short-tempered member going to sessions with a psychiatrist to help deal with his anger. Meanwhile, Chris Penn and Michael Madsen have little to do, though a scene where Madsen tries to pick the lock on a gate to a military base rather than have Penn blow it off is a funny bit.

They are trying to figure out how a girl found out in the desert was killed. Apparently impact with the ground did it. She was Nolte's mistress for six months during his marriage to Melanie Griffith. The trail leads to Gen. Thomas Timms (John Malkovich) who also knew the girl as his mistress. Malkovich turns in another good supporting role as a cancerous military man. Treat Williams, one of the officers and the real bad guy, turns in a fairly mediocre job.

All in all the movie falls short, but it does include some nice uncredited turns by Bruce Dern as the Chief of Police, and Rob Lowe and "CSI"'s William Petersen as a couple of hoods. (The latter of which is taken to the title location)

An Unexpected and Pleasant Surprise.

[randywhitten · 8/10 · 22 March 2006]

After years of reading bad reviews about Mulholland Falls, I recently turned on this DVD with low expectations and was totally surprised by how much fun this great little popcorn movie was; right down to the soundtrack . Great cast, great look and about as much logic and charm as the old 50's detective magazines. After seeing Nick Nolte in this, I'm now hoping to see him in a future Tarrantino movie. Nolte would also be a perfect fit in one of the upcoming Sin City sequels. I also have new respect for Roger Ebert, one of the few critics who enjoyed the movie for what it was meant to be. It seems to me that those who didn't like this movie, missed its point. While this isn't Academy Award material, it's a hell of a lot better than the critics would make you believe it was.

got all the style but not enough excitement

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 10 May 2015]

It's 1950s L.A. Lieutenant Maxwell Hoover (Nick Nolte), Coolidge (Chazz Palminteri), Hall (Michael Madsen) and Relyea (Chris Penn) are a squad of rough LAPD detectives who throw bad guys off a hill on Mulholland Drive. They investigate the murder of Allison Pond (Jennifer Connelly) who actually is linked to Hoover. They uncover secretly filmed sex sessions as well as the Nevada Atomic Testing Site. They are threatened by Colonel Fitzgerald (Treat Williams). She also had an affair with General Thomas Timms (John Malkovich), head of Atomic Energy Commission.

It's a tightly wound neo-noir. Connelly is a sort-of-femme-fatale on celluloid. Maybe they should have included a sister following the investigation in the present. The flashback aren't as interesting. Nick Nolte is good at being hard but his desperation needs to be heightened. This movie has most of the elements of a hard-boiled film noir but it does lack the sharp dialog. It needs more thrills to go along with the style.

Rambles off in strange direction...

[jmorrison-2 · 5/10 · 5 July 2005]

Decent enough movie, with decent performances. Nolte is very good as the leader of an elite, slightly secret police squad dedicated to battling organized crime in 1940's Los Angeles. If the movie had developed something along this line, this may very well have been a terrific movie. This may have allowed the terrific actors who made up Nolte's squad to be developed better (played by Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Chazz Palmintieri).

However, this movie inexplicably goes off into a plot of murder, sexual intrigue, politics, corruption, military cover-up and the Atomic Energy Commission! What!? The movie seemed to meander so much, and the plot reached a point of ridiculousness. It's unfortunate because this had real possibilities, and Nolte was just superb. There are brief scenes in which we see the squad do what they do best - deal with gangsters trying to gain a foothold in L.A. The look and atmosphere were right on, and there was certainly a solid cast on hand to make this work. Unfortunately, the ridiculous plot made this difficult to accept.

At one point in the film, a military officer sends Nolte's wife a film of Nolte making love to another woman, as a way of blackmailing him. Nolte comes home to see his unsuspecting wife watching this film of him with another woman. The stunned humiliation is played out very well by Nolte and Melanie Griffith. You can see and feel the revulsion that Nolte's character feels, as he tries to answer for what is playing out on the film screen.

Brief pieces of good acting and atmosphere, ruined by a plot with too much stuffed into it. It just reached too far...for what?

Solid Falls

[dromasca · 8/10 · 7 December 2002]

Interestingly enough, at this moment the life and career of the movie's director seems to be at a maximum high, having just released the latest James Bond, while actor Nick Nolte seems to be in some kind of personal trouble in his private life, and without any major role for the last few years. 'Mulholland Falls' might remain his last great role - he is giving an outstanding performance here, in a solid and well paced film.

The 'Falls' not only is located in the 50s, but it is also done like a 50s movie. Were not for the recorded sex scenes, hard to distinguish that the film was made in the mid 90s. The level of detail and authenticity is perfect.

The only minus of the film is in the rather artificial manner that the story line is resolved - it looks again like a 50s B-movie end, but a bad one.

'LA Confidential' came one year later, and referred to a similar story line and environment. It got much more attention, and better critical reception. In my opinion, 'Mulholland Falls' does not fall behind, and later critics will place the two films on the same shelf of the movie history. 8/10 on my personal scale.

Decent Film Noir Attempt From Lee Tomahori..

[witster18 · 6/10 · 20 November 2011]

This film looks fantastic and is chock-full of great actors(Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Chris Penn, Bruce Dern, John Malkovich, Chazz Palminteri, and more).

A low-brow Chinatown. The 'look' of this film, and Nick Nolte's performance are the only things that are even close to the level of that earlier, finer work.

However, this is well worth a view - especially if you are looking for a throwback escape from all the new release trash that's out there today.

Sidenote: Jennifer Connelly's breasts should be the standard of perfection.

Some of the fine actors have to take a backseat because there are just so many involved here. Nolte, however, is the star of this show, and his performance is definitely noteworthy.

It's Nick's performance, and Tomahori's attention to graphic detail that make this film above average. The plot is an atomic bomb.

You'll like this if you liked: Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential(note: this movie is nowhere near that level), Miller's Crossing and Basic Instinct.

64/100

'Mulholland Falls' isn't a terrible film by any means, but it just isn't great either. It lacks the focus and coherence to make us fully invested, despite the awesome cast.

[bryank-04844 · 5/10 · 11 August 2015]

Back in 1996, an all-star cast along with odd director Lee Tamahori made a 50's noir gangster film called 'Mulholland Falls', not to be confused with 'Mulholland Drive'. This ambitious project was focused on a real life team of detectives in Los Angeles called the 'Hat Squad' who solved crimes and stopped bad guys by any means necessary, even if it meant getting their hands dirty. This was Tamahori's second feature film to direct, before he went on to make a string of mediocre to downright awful films, including the 'xXx' sequel, Nic Cage in 'Next', and 'Along Came A Spider'.

However with 'Mulholland Falls', Tamahori used his detailed creative mind to get the 50s to look perfect, managing and creating each shot perfectly. Every moment of the film looks amazing, but that's about as far as it goes. While Tamahori was focusing on the visual style and framing, the story and script got away from him, which led to a movie with almost zero character development between four detectives. It's almost as we are seeing a sequel film to something we never knew existed. It would have been nice to know these four Los Angeles detectives before we see them in action, which would have us sympathize or relate to them in some form or fashion, but we don't, even though their performances are fairly good.

There just isn't a lot of development with their origins or rapport, leaving us cold when something drastic happens. The leader of this detective outfit is Hoover (Nick Nolte, grunts and all), along with Hall (Michael Madsen), Relyea (Chris Penn), and Coolige (Chazz Palminteri). We meet these guys as they throw off a mob boss off a cliff on Mulholland Drive, hence the title of the film. Needless to say, this isn't the way we have come to know how police conduct their business. Soon enough though, their police chief (Bruce Dern) informs them of a dead body (Jennifer Connelly) near a construction site to investigate.

The team notices that every single bone is broken in her body. From here, the detectives soon realize that this woman's death might just travel up the political ladder to the very top, as they investigate nuclear test sites and other political offices. Betrayal, sex tapes, and friendships all come to the forefront here in hopes to blackmail one another to prevent the government from looking bad, and it's up to these four detectives to figure out how this poor woman died, before they lose their own lives.

With supporting performances from Rob Lowe, John Malkovich, Andrew McCarthy, Treat Williams, Daniel Baldwin and Hoover's wife (Melanie Griffith), the film moves at a quick pace, although some of the side story lines run off in a tangent. I think Tamahori couldn't focus on this huge cast, while trying to create 50's Los Angeles at the same time, and the actor's did the best they could with what they had. Some did better than others, as Melanie Griffith won the infamous Razzie Award for her performance here. It's hard not to compare the recent 'Gangster Squad' film to this, as it's very similar in nature.

While it might not have that over-the-top 'Dick Tracy' feel to the movie, it borders on that same line with some overly dramatic dialogue and emotions from time to time. That, and everyone smokes cigarettes in the film from start to finish. 'Mulholland Falls' isn't a terrible film by any means, but it just isn't great either. It lacks the focus and coherence to make us fully invested, despite the awesome cast.

great visuals

[rem-flyer · 27 May 2000]

This film has an excellent eye appeal due mostly to the efforts of Haskell Wexler (cinematographer). See more of his work in "Matewan","Bound For Glory" and "The Secret of Roan Inish".

Nick Nolte, one of America's best actors, gives us one of Film's best visual performances. Watch closely the scene in the cemetary with Melanie Griffith as Nolte,without words,displays a man who has lost the one thing that makes him love.

This isn't America, Jack. This is L.A.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 20 September 2008]

Nick Nolte, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, and Chris Penn make up the notorious "Hat Squad," that will stop at nothing to rid L.A. of criminals.

This neo-noir film brings back the look and feel of 1950s L.A. and unfortunately was not to receive the acclaim that was given to the similar L.A. Confidential one year later. That is a shame as it is almost as good.

Jennifer Connelly is at the center of things as she is found dead and just happens to be Nolte's mistress from the past. A black and white film is found with her and the head of the A.E.C., General Timms (John Malkovich). I can assure you that Connelly looks as good in black and white as she does in color.

Treat Williams is the bad guy here as he tries to protect the general and the secret they share in the desert.

Good stuff.

Different From What I Expected

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 12 April 2005]

Despite being released a year before LA CONFIDENTIAL this movie instantly reminded me off the acclaimed film noir classic . A bunch of LA cops working just outside the law strut their stuff and break the rules for a higher morality . They don't take any crap especially from crims

So far so good . MULHOLLAND FALLS while not being a bad movie in the first half does suffer slightly from a seen it all before feel but pales slightly in comparison to LA CONFIDENTIAL . Sorry to mention that movie again but if you've seen both movies you can't help being reminded of comparisons . Then about half through MULHOLLAND FALLS becomes more and more intriguing and takes on an identity of of its own . Unfortunately it's not all together successful since the setting seems rather anachronistic for conspiracy theories . Imagine if the story had been updated to the 1990s . Wouldn't this have had a better sense of time and place ?

There's one or two other problems that people have picked up upon with the most obvious being a wasted cast . Nolte is always good at playing tough streetwise cops and he doesn't disappoint here , but touted rising stars ( as they were at the time ) Chris Penn and Michael Madsen aren't given anything to do while John Malkovich is rather ridiculous as a retired General . If you want a retired US General try Brian Dennehey . There was also something else that has been mentioned and that's the final scene of the Michael Mann series CRIME STORY - I kept expecting a similarly ironic scene to befall some of the main characters , in fact I would have bet my rent money on it happening but it doesn't which left me feeling slightly cheated

All in all MULHOLLAND FALLS isn't a classic movie though it certainly had the potential to be one . If only the script had been slightly better it could have been

Over Acted and Out of Shape

[angelsunchained · 6/10 · 19 October 2018]

Fair cop drama trying its darnest to be a classic, but falling short. The actors from the stars to the unknowns overplay their parts and come across sterotyped and cartoonish. To make matters worse, the top stars are all grossly out of shape, puffy and paunchy and seem to be huffing and puffing through every edited fight scene. Chris Penn at 31 was already packing on the pounds and it is truly sad to see this talented actor falling apart. Nolte seems out of breath the entire film and screams more then he acts. Disappointing film. Only of interest to die hard fans.

Mulholland Dive

[sol- · 7/10 · 25 November 2017]

Investigating the suspicious death of an attractive young woman, four LAPD detectives uncover a conspiracy involving atomic energy in this mystery thriller set in the 1950s during the peak of the Cold War. Luciously shot by the legendary Haskell Wexler and accompanied by an appropriately moody music score, the movie succeeds in creating an experience that is part film noir homage and part 70s paranoia thriller homage. The performances are also uniformly excellent. The film bites off a little more than it can chew though. The origin of the title, for instance, is revealed very early on as we see how shady the detectives are, resorting to letting some criminals (who they cannot legally touch) dive off the edge of Mulholland Drive. For the vast majority of the film though, they are shown as far less corrupt, which is a shame because morally ambiguous policemen are always far more interesting. A subplot involving the lead detective's neglected wife does not quite gel with the story-line either and mostly feels like a distraction from the Cold War conspiracy that the detectives eventually unfold. Generally speaking though, this is a fairly enticing affair. Released after the end of the Cold War, the film benefits in particular from speculating over what may have been in terms of government whitewashes and corruption during this heightened period of international tension.

Solid neo-noir mystery

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 31 May 2018]

Set in the early nineteen fifties this film follows the 'Hat Squad'; four LAPD detectives willing to do whatever it takes, including murder, to rid the City of Angels of organised crime. Then one day they are called in when a woman's body is found outside the city; she is half buried and just about every bone is broken as if she was pushed off a cliff but there are none around. She is Alison Pond who we soon learn was involved with Detective Lieutenant Maxwell Hoover, the leader of the squad. Not long after they start investigating somebody sends in a reel of film which shows Alison and a man in a compromising position. He is soon identified as a general in charge of the US Atomic Energy Commission. He has an alibi for the time she died but as pressure from above is applied to Hoover and his squad it looks as though Alison was killed because she saw something she wasn't meant to; what that is remains a mystery though.

I really enjoyed this film; it provided an interesting mystery and great atmosphere. As others have said it doesn't just feel like a film set in the fifties, it feels almost like a film made them. The cast does a great job; Nick Nolte is on top form as Hoover and Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen and Chris Penn impress as the other members of the Hat Squad. There are also solid performances from Jennifer Connelly and Melanie Griffith and Alison and Hoover's wife Katherine. The story unfolds at a good pace and while the identity of the killer isn't a total surprise and the mystery of how Alison came to die seemed pretty obvious it didn't really matter as the big question as to why she was killed wasn't obvious at all. At the end things do get a bit melodramatic but that goes with the genre. There are some fairly violent scenes and some fairly tame sex scenes; I was surprised that it was given a UK-18 certificate though... unless there was something I missed I suspect it would be given a 15 if it were rated today. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of neo-noir films; the story of good and the atmosphere is great.

A Decent Mystery that Revolves Around a Beauty (Jennifer Connelly)

[Jakemcclake · 7/10 · 17 October 2013]

There are five mysteries in this movie:

1) Who killed Alison Pond (Played By Jennifer Connelly)? 2) Why was she killed? 3) How did they kill her? 4) who killed her next door neighbor played by Andrew Mc Carthy and 5) why?

Spoilers

Most of the solutions to the mysteries (with the exception of how) is shown in the opening scene. The opening scene, which is a home movie of several things, is repeated several times, throughout the movie.

Pretty clever.

The answer to the mysteries is being shown to you numerous times throughout the movie, including in the very beginning.

Nick Nolte (who plays Max Hoover) and other people are the Hat Squad and part of the police force that have to solve this mystery. Max Hoover is also personally involved.

By the way, do you think Jennifer Connelly is skinny, and maybe too skinny? Yeah maybe in many of her movies, she is pretty skinny, but not this movie.

She "packed on" a lot of weight in all of the right places,

and in my opinion Jennifer takes the crown.

In this movie, Jennifer Connelly is the beauty crown winner and sexiest woman on any movie screen.

But see her in this movie for yourself and decide. That is if you can either find a copy of the VHS or DVD on Ebay (the DVD for the movie is out of print) or if you can catch it on TV/cable.

Unfortunately disappointing.

[lewiskendell · 4/10 · 27 April 2010]

This movie needed more Jennifer Connelly, and it needed to be in black and white. I'm sorry, but noir never really works for me unless it's steeped in shadows and a colorless world. That's just what I've been conditioned to expect from a good noir movie. If Mulholland Falls would have been set in the modern day, I think that the color wouldn't have bothered me as much, but the combination of the time period and the style makes the colorization just to much for me to tolerate.

As for Jennifer, she's the crux of the film, but we don't get to spend very much time at all with her. We don't get a sense of who she is and why she did the things that she did, and that greatly lessens the impact of her death. If you don't care about the core of the story, then it's difficult to have any real investment in the rest of the movie.

In all honesty, even if the movie was in black and white and Jennifer Connelly had two times more scenes, this movie would probably still be boring. I just never cared or was interested in what was going on. Michael Madsen was wasted, there wasn't nearly enough of John Malkovich, and Nick Nolte was just smacking people and looking grim. Mulholland Falls gets two stars for Jennifer Connelly's magnificence, but even her wonders barely made it worth watching.

Justice and Jennifer

[bill-987 · 8/10 · 9 January 2006]

In a society built on the rule of law such as ours, we are constantly shown examples of evildoers who beat the system and continue to prey on the rest of us. They use the law to their advantage and dishearten most of those who go through life playing by the rules. A convicted rapist who breaks into a woman's house can sue her if he sustains an injury slipping on an errant throw-rug on his way to her bedroom.

Mulholland Falls is about four Los Angeles cops who constitute a special task force whose mission is the dispensation of justice regardless of whether that dispensation runs counter to the law. Mob types, pedophiles, and murderers beware, this L. A. isn't your kinda town! The excellent cast extends far beyond the principal actors down to a wonderful uncredited minor role played by Academy Award winning Louise Fletcher as a sardonic staff member at LAPD headquarters. Chaz Palminteri is simply superb as Nick Nolte's loyal and devoted side kick on the force. John Malkovich delivers his usual strong performance as the terminally ill Chairman of the AEC. Treat Williams is the perfect zealot in charge of base security for the Army,

and Jennifer be here!

Jennifer Connelly consistently belies the oft-held misconception that extraordinary beauty and profound talent must be mutually exclusive. Her portrayal as the party girl victim combines gut wrenching eye candy with a typically powerful and sensitive performance which ranks up there with 'Requiem for a Dream' and 'Beautiful Mind'.

You Never Heard of Mulholland Falls? You're In For A Tumble!

[museumofdave · 7/10 · 23 March 2013]

I've found that if I somehow leave the room for food or a break, the film probably isn't really very good. Good or better keep me glued. I never left my seat during Mulholland Falls and from the opening sequences with the four LA cops in hats riding up sunny 1950's Hollywood Hills in a big black convertible, I was hooked.

Hooked especially by a galvanizing, snappy performance by Nick Nolte as Hoover, head of his squad of four, a man of action before words, a man who simmers and glares and loves with passion: it's a performance that somehow should have been given more attention at the time of the film's release, a cops and crime film which somehow didn't match the zeitgeist of its period, lost in the shuffle.

Almost every noir mystery past 1949 is a retread of some sort (Chinatown being a major exception),but what makes Mulholland Falls work is not the plot but the heady collection of dedicated supporting actors whether Melanie Griffith as a quietly restrained wife of a cop, or Chazz Palminteri, the wry right hand partner who talks about his psychiatrist without hesitation.

The mystery deals with corruption in high places, of course, and John Malkovich and Treat Williams are good supports for Nolte to play against--but it's Nolte's show from start to finish and his intensity nails it!

Lackluster

[Wulfstan10 · 5/10 · 16 March 2005]

I liked another person's comment that this is a "poor man's Chinatown," as it really describes this movie. It clearly seems to be an attempt to recreate the sort of drama and themes from Chinatown or, perhaps less closely, L.A.Confidential, but it fails to achieve the greatness of either film.

The film has very good production values in terms of settings, costumes, etc. Thus, it does a very good job of recreating a feeling of the period.

However, while the basic story is intelligent and has promise, and while on the whole the acting is fairly good, nothing at all shines in this film. It lacks any real, convincing, sense of brutality or evil, a feeling of foreboding, or tension. Rather than being tense or intense, it is simply bland and dull. The characters, the details of the story, the development, etc., all fail to create a true sense of convincing drama or to make one really care about what is going on, care about the characters, or feel strongly about anything. Even the nastiness of some of the baddies fails to convey much.