Laurel Canyon
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Movie Reviews of Laurel Canyon
Movie Review: 3.5 = 4.0 stars
Summary: 4 Stars
Not sure if the pucture is intended as a nostalgic look-back at the LA Rock scene of the 1970s, or as a study of those still in that lifestyle at the millenium, somehow surviving all the changes, wondering if it's a problem to deliver to the Record Company, a late product...and a ballad on top of that!
Frances McDormand plays the aging Mother Earth/Producer, still indulging in illegal drugs and "boy toys". Strangely, it's her Conservative son, who has graduated Medical School in the Ivy's who is a kind of stabilizer. Not really.
Christian Bale is the young guy, trying to get established in the CA Medical Community; and keep his relationship with equally straight-laced, live-in lady friend Kate Beckinsale, who is working on her thesis in Biology.
Frances' wild spirit is infectious and Christian loses focus and struggles to contain his lust for Natashka McElhone, a co-worker, Professional, who drives Chris to and from work - Kate is supposed to be studying *and* checking out a more appropriate place to shack than Frances' Laurel canyon place which has become a Recording Studio as well as a home, so she has the car during the day.
I guess. (Did I notice the actor who played the Proctologist on "Seinfeld" as the home seller in one scene?).
Kate notices that Natashka has an eye for Chris and this makes her curious about her own passions - she is fascinated and sexually attracted to Frances and Ian, the British Rock Star who is half-heartedly interested in completing the album and very interested in completing a menage a tois with Frances and Kate.
That's enough detail for now. See the movie for how things work and don't work out. McDurmond's performance is Oscar-worthy. All the actors are fine. Script and Direction is very strong, as a lesser company might have delivered something alot more in the soap-opera vein. Though there is an issue: are we to be repulsed or amused by by the latter-day "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll" - is Frances just an immature middle-aged hippie? Is Kate dumb enough to xperiment with the worst of that culture? Is Christian, as a Doctor, dumb enough *not* to protest Kate's pot-smoking?
Movie Review: Fantastic, Atmospheric
Summary: 4 Stars
I wanted to watch this movie because I like Christian Bale and had heard so much about Frances McDormand's perfomance. I had previously seen the director's film High Art (I enjoyed the film style of High Art, but not the message. However, Patricia Clarkson's turn as a glamorous German lesbian is fantastic.)
The set-up: a Harvard graduate psychiatrist returns to California to begin his residency at a mental facility. He plans to stay at his mother's house in Laurel Canyon with his brainiac girlfriend. The house is supposed to be vacated so that he can work and his fiancee can finish her dissertation. However, his mother, a highly successful record-producer, is still living in the house, trying to finish an album with her boyfriend's band. The psychiatrist son, who resents his unorthodox, lonely upbringing, tersely agrees to remain in the house until he and said girlfriend can find another place. The mother is well aware of her son's anger but feels helpless to fix the situation, so she ignores it. The son's girlfriend, a scientist, finds herself attracted to the open and creative lifestyle of her boyfriend's mom and the merry musicians. Finally, the psychiatrist finds himself attracted to another doctor at the hospital.
I really enjoyed this movie because of the perfomances. Frances McDormand does a brilliant job as the perfect producer who is an imperfect mother. Much was made of the sexuality of the role, but her perfomance was so natural it all works. Christian Bale is remarkable as this son who judges his only parent harshly for her failings. He rigidly organizes his life only to realize that life is fluid. Alessandro Nivola, Kate Beckinsale, and Natashcha McElhone have different accents and are wonderful as well. The music "scene" depictions are tremendous also(It is like watching a party you want to go to!). It is all very sensual.
My only criticism is the script function of Kate Beckinsale's character as some innocent led astray. Even with the son' priggishness, I don't see his fiancee as a nubile object waiting to be defiled. That said, good movie.
Movie Review: An adult movie in the good sense of the term
Summary: 4 Stars
'Laurel Canyon' is an adult movie in the good sense of the term: strong character development; real-life believable situations; and an ending that jolts you with its abruptness and immediately sets you to thinking. For all intents and purposes, there are five people in this film:
Frances McDormand - What an actress. Hard to believe this is Brainerd, Minnesota's sherriff Marge Gunderson up there. Talk about channeling a character.
Christian Bale - Can't be overlooked here because he's got to be believable as someone who attracts the love interest of both Kate Beckinsale and Natascha McElhone. [Happens to all guys, right?]
Kate Beckinsale - So good-looking you'd think it would be tough for her to pull off the the brainiac bookworm role, but I never doubted it for a second.
Natascha McElhone - Looks great here as always. So-called Israeli accent a bit all over the map for this classically trained English actress, pero no me molesta. Lisa Cholodenko was looking for the allure vs. the uptight Beckinsale portrayal of fiancee Alex. I was sold.
Alessandro Nilova - Underrated. I was totally charmed by this guy as Brit rocker Ian McKnight. As the anti-Sam (Bale), you could see why Beckinsale's character is drawn to him. Plus, he has movie's goofiest lines. Like when he picks up the phone when Sarah calls the house:
"That's a lovely accent, Sarah, where are you from?"
[Pause - you don't hear the answer on the screen.]
"Well, what a coincidence, I'm eating a bagel right now. Hold on, I'll get Sam."
Sounds idiotic, but by that time, Nivola has established McKnight's harmless chatter and sweet character.
The ending is Cholodenko's gift to the audience. It's abrupt and completely subject to the viewer's interpretation. You will immediately find yourself making a judgement as to which of two ways Bale's character will turn. I did so impulsively. I bet you do the same.
Movie Review: Lisa Cholodenko embodies inhibitions, choices, and love...
Summary: 4 Stars
The story surrounds Sam's (Christian Bale) mother Jane (Frances McDormand) who is a successful pleasure-seeking record producer in California. Sam escaped the hedonistic life style of his mother to seek a more responsible spot in the world through attending the Harvard Medical School from which he has recently graduated with a emphasis in psychiatry. In addition, Sam has furthered his rebellion against his mothers life style by proposing to a beautiful Harvard scientist, Alex (Kate Beckinsale). The perfectionist Alex moves with Sam to California where she can work on her thesis in regards to fruit flies and Sam can begin his residency in psychiatry. In order to save some money Sam and Alex move temporarily into Jane's house, which is a haven for drugs, sex, and rock-n-roll. Alex, who grew up in a rigid life style with country clubs and specific societal rules, are fascinated by Jane's life style and begins to explore the world that she never has experienced, which is about to lead into an emotionally painful journey. Laurel Canyon is a terrific film about inhibitions, choices, and love, which Lisa Cholodenko embodies through the different characters. Cholodenko depicts the personal rules of the characters through social interactions between the characters as well as in the mise-en-scene. These personal rules are about to be broken as the characters are set in a society where rules are not the norm or wanted. This leads to interpersonal conflicts as it will most certainly hurt the individuals in the social setting in which they live. The conflicts lead the audience to ponder what is acceptable and desirable in our contemporary society where many different norms exists. In essence these norms are scrutinized through the fine direction and performance by an excellent cast.
Movie Review: Canyon Capers and Chateau Marmont
Summary: 4 Stars
If you were privy to the Laurel Canyon lifestyle in the 60s and 70s, this film is like a retro shock with all the old familiar haunts still there, and the inevitable lost generation of 20 somethings wandering the deer trail lanes of traffic to hang with the musicians. At least, this is how the premise of the 2002 version of the canyon lifestyle is reflected. Between the generation of hippie organic mama (Frances McDormand) and her predictably uptight conservative son (Christian Bale) and his uber egghead grad student girlfriend (Kate Beckinsale) are the silences of a parent who did her thing and a son who didn't. Literally caught between them is the luscious Beckinsale, who comes to enjoy the hedonism the mother's world of music and a young lover (Allessando Nivola) present. She likes the pot, pool parties, and 3-somes while her fiance dallies with the sublimated lust for a professional colleague who is more his cup of straight-laced tea. His resentment of mom's ability to be cool and productive clash with his inability to make decisions about his own lifestyle choice, a serious wife in training, medical practice, and the possibility of affairs with other women. He is as much drawn to sin and swinging as Kate. The tension of the six characters makes the story of kids and parents failure to communicate as old as the perennial hills. Great soundtrack with vocals by Nivola and recording sessions are added plus. McDormand is one of the finest character actors around, and she rises to the challenge of taking back seat to Beckinsale's beauty. Nevertheless, McDormand steals the show everytime she is onscreen. We don't care about the young couple, we care about the three-way between mother, her lover, and her son's lover...that's Hollywood!