Laurel Canyon
by Lisa Cholodenko
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Actor: Alessandro Nivola, Christian Bale, Frances McDormand, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhoneDirector: Lisa Cholodenko
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Wally Pfister
Writer: Lisa Cholodenko
Producer: Dara Weintraub
Producer: David McGiffert
Producer: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Producer: Scott Ferguson
Producer: Susan A. Stover
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Letterboxed, Live, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 103 minutes
Published: 2003-07-01
DVD Release Date: 2003-07-15
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Laurel Canyon
DVD Review: Laurel and Hardy Canyon
Summary: 3 Stars
Sam (Christian Bale) is serving an internship as a psychiatrist while his fiancé, Alex (Kate Beckinsale) is finishing her dissertation on genomes. They plan to stay at Sam's mother (Frances McDormand) Jane's plush Laurel Canyon house while she is away. Jane is there after all, much to Sam's chagrin, because she is a record producer, and is trying to finish a project, and is also involved in a fling with Ian McKnight (Alessandro Nivola), the young lead singer of the band whose record she is ostensibly producing. Now we see why Sam is so uptight, as his mother's shenanigans make him very uncomfortable, and perhaps the reason he became a doctor was to rebel against his mom's slacker lifestyle. His discomfort is about to evolve into a full-fledged nightmare as Alex falls under the sway of his mother's libertine lifestyle. Meanwhile, Sara, a beautiful Israeli who is also an intern at the asylum, is trying to seduce him, but he resists...
Directed and written by Lisa Cholodenko, she based the character of Jane on Joni Mitchell. Joni is seen in a photo along with McDormand, and other photos show Bowie with McDormand, or Frances McDormand with The Red Hot Chili Peppers, which is no doubt meant to establish Jane's credentials as a record producer. There is even a cameo where real-life record producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, etc.) is seen.
Besides the five main characters, a sixth character is the location: Laurel Canyon. Some establishing shots make pains to not only show the Laurel Cyn street sign, but also one for Mount Olympus, an actual street name, but also one that seems to mock the inhabitants and their lofty view of themselves for living in such a groovy place. The Laurel Canyon "vibe" is captured quite convincingly, one of the films strengths.
While a good effort, and an entertaining movie to watch, Cholodenko could have done a better job writing and directing. An introspective character study made from material that could've better suited a comedy, it is a series of small epiphanies that don't really amount to much. What are you trying to say, Cholodenko? Judging from other viewer's comments, no one got the ending. The character of Alex was thinly drawn, and her actions didn't ring true. Sam was also rather one dimensional, or at the most, two dimensional. Ditto for Sara, and Ian. Jane, the libertine mother, partially makes up for it with a brassy and bold performance. Alex and Sara are both very appealing, but Ian is repulsive, and Sam is a major wet blanket.
I don't want to spoil the movie, but there is a very unusual love triangle, or love polygon, and when it actually almost happens, I thought it would be hot, but it was over the line, and I was repulsed by it. At least it stirred up my emotions, albeit in a negative way, but then it didn't know what to do with them. All undressed up and nowhere to go.
The Top Ten Films of the Actors in Laurel Canyon
Fargo: Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her role as a Midwestern sheriff, pregnant, and with a charming Minnesota accent. All the characters in Fargo were fully realized, and this film is chock full of that quirky charm and attention to detail that the Cohen brothers are so good at. Laurel Canyon could've learned a lot from this film.
North Country: Frances McDormand was nominated for an Oscar for this one.
Almost Famous: Another nomination for Frances. Also playing a mother, but here she is the mother of a character based on writer/director Cameron Crowe, a young rock journalist. She's the opposite kind of mother from Jane.
Mississippi Burning: Yet another Oscar nomination for McDormand.
American Psycho: Christian Bale's biggest role so far. But he will be the new Batman soon opposite Heath Ledger's final role as The Joker. He also appeared in Velvet Goldmine, Newsies, Swing Kids, The 3:10 to Yuma, Metroland, The Prestige, and I'm Not There.
Swing Kids: Kind of a Footloose, but with Nazis--and Christian Bale instead of Kevin Bacon. What's not to like? Great music, great dancing, and the whole thing is so utterly ridiculous your jaw will drop to the floor.
The Aviator [HD DVD]: Kate Beckinsale played Ava Gardener in this film. She was also in Pearl Harbor, Brokedown Palace, Van Helsing, and The Last Days of Disco.
Much Ado About Nothing: While in her first year at Oxford, Kate Beckinsale received her big break in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (1993).
The Truman Show: After making her film debut in Surviving Picasso in 1996, Natascha McElhone has appeared in a few films, the most well known being The Truman Show with Jim Carrey--although in 2002 alone she made five films.
Face/Off: Alessandro Nivola appeared in this massive ego contest between John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Alessandro says: At the time, I was obsessing over a documentary about Robert Crumb [Crumb, 1994]. He had this brother named Charles, who's in the movie, and I stole his voice. I played a tape of the film for Nicolas Cage, and he said [imitating Cage], 'Ah, yeah... errrr ... very dark. I like it.' Nic had a really big impact on me. It was my first film - I'd never been to L.A., or anything. He really urged me on and gave me the confidence to be daring.
Description of Laurel Canyon
LAUREL CANYON - DVD MovieWhen young psychiatrist Sam (Christian Bale), the son of record producer Jane (Frances McDormand), brings his girlfriend Alex (Kate Beckinsale) to stay at his mother's house, he's expecting that Jane will be gone--but a delay in finishing an album with a British rocker named Ian (Alessandro Nivola) has kept her there. Instantly, the tensions of Sam's counterculture childhood set off a series of betrayals and attractions that threaten to wreck Sam and Alex's relationship. Director Lisa Cholodenko has a keen eye for the behavior, delineating doctors and musicians by the ways they talk and greet each other--it's an almost anthropological study of different tribes. Laurel Canyon lacks the focused story of High Art, Cholodenko's previous movie, and some viewers may find the ways the characters change too subtle to be rewarding; but for others, the rich, detailed performances will be a pleasure worth having. --Bret Fetzer
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