Laurel Canyon
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Movie Reviews of Laurel Canyon
Movie Review: Taboo and Adult Commitment
Summary: 4 Stars
Laurel Canyon is a street that runs through the Hollywood Hills. It has always been known as a place for the hippies, the Boogie Night scene, the off kilter, slightly left of left neighborhoods.Into this community come Chrisitan Bale and Kate Beckinsale, newly marired and graduates of Harvard Medical School. Conserative by nature, uptight and serious. They are moving into Alex's (Christin Bale) mom's home while she is away. But, then Jane (Frances McDermond) isn't away. She is a veteran record producer and is in the midst of producing a hit single for a British group. The lead singer, Ian (Alessandro Nivola) and lover of Jane is just taking too long to get these tunes right.
The music he wields is on the edge and the beat grabs you.
Into this mix of honest exploration of relationships and a divergence of world views comes the revolution. Jane is into physical relationships, man and woman and variations of them all. Alex, the son, wants nothing to do with his mom's behavior. He wants the exact opposite. How will this resolve? What happens when two conservative Harvard grads break free of their boundaries? Can mom and her lover keep their fantasies to themselves? What is it about Laurel Canyon- what draws these people into a search for themeselves? I liked this movie- reminds me of the heydays of the 70's and 80's- prisrob
Movie Review: A Confrontation of Lifestyles
Summary: 4 Stars
"Laurel Canyon" is an entrancing languid film about the intersection of individuals and lifestyles. Briefly, the film covers the relationship between a young professional couple who have been studying at Harvard played by (Sam) Christian Bale and (Alex) Kate Beckinsale and the lifestyle of Sam's record producer mother Jane (Frances Mc Dormand) and her younger boyfriend Ian (Allesandro Nivola). The Harvard culture is conservative and polite whereas Jane's Los Angeles culture is uninhibited and hedonistic. Sam is embarrassed by his mother while Alex is slowly drawn in like a moth to a flame.
The couple comes to within a hair's breadth of falling apart but it is Sam who first recognises problems and temptations when he resists an attractive work colleague Sara played by Natasha Mc Elhone. He then confronts his partner who steps back from the edge of a moral abyss. Sense is ultimately seen by all and the two lifestyles choose to recognise and respect their differences.
The plot is virtually non-existent. Rather, the film is a study of the simmering tensions between two very different ways of life. It is this tension that sustains the film.
Movie Review: 2 hot babes, 1 not bad film
Summary: 4 Stars
Having the exquisite Kate Beckinsale and Natascha McElhone together in the same film was a knockout punch, though in a perverse twist the only naked backside we see is that of Alessandro Nivola who plays the rock vocalist who's dating the record producer played by Frances McDormand. Yes McDormand is an extremely talented actress but there really are no bad actors in this film. Even Christian Bale is pretty good playing an uptight Harvard doctor in residency, but his actorly limitations come out during the last 10 minutes when he has a dramatic moment with Beckinsale that's more on par with TV-show acting.
The funny thing here is that both Bale and Beckinsale are Brits playing Americans, and Nivola is an American playing a Brit---all 3 do it convincingly with the correct accents.
There were surprisingly a lot of laughs during the first 2/3rds of the film, and if it weren't for the bit of failed melodrama right near the end I would have given this movie 5 stars. As others have noted, the soundtrack here is excellent---Alessandro Nivola ought to be in a real rock band in real life.
Movie Review: PUT THIS IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT
Summary: 4 Stars
Frances McDormand (FARGO) is the big star in this tale of culture clash via generations. She portrays Jane, the tough, pot-smoking record-producing mother of conservative son, Sam, who just graduated as a shrink and now works with psychotics. Sam brings his girlfriend to stay at his mother's house. In a reversal of generational roles, Sam does not approve of his mother's lifestyle and history with multiple lovers. So, after a few days with mum, he decides to seek quarters elsewhere. Before they can escape his mother's digs, complications pop up and Sam's inexperienced girlfriend becomes seduced by the wilder goings-on surrounding Jane while Sam catches the eye of an attractive co-worker. LAUREL CANYON is basically an eventless movie and more a character study. Or perhaps an examination of artsy life in Laurel Canyon. As such, it is pretty decent with some very natural moral statements made by director Cholodenko. The performances are good and the direction and production values excellent. For a laid-back film experience put LAUREL CANYON in your pipe and smoke it.Movie Review: Cool Film
Summary: 4 Stars
My friend recommended this movie to me and I had been wanting to watch it for some while, but I didn't think I'd care too much for the movie. I loved the music used throughout the movie and am considering getting the soundtrack soon (even though Serge Gainsbourg's "Bonnie and Clyde" isn't on it.)
I felt an odd connection to Kate Beckinsale's character Alex and wished that the character could have been developed a little more.
The only thing that left me a bit disappointed was the ending. It leaves the viewer with an "open ending," and that works with some movies, but I didn't feel that it worked with this one in particular.
Still, check it out. I guarantee that you'll be searching high and low for "Bonnie And Clyde."