Laurel Canyon

Her son, Sam, on the other hand, played by Christian Bale, is exactly the opposite. He's just graduated from Harvard Medical School and is engaged to Alex, played by Kate Beckinsale, who is not only a doctor, but also a research scientist. They're supposed to borrow Jane's home while he completes his residency in a local hospital, but it doesn't work out that way. Jane stays in the house, which is also a recording studio, to finish up a record with the rock band.

At the hospital, Sam meets a fellow doctor, Sara, played by Natascha McElhone and there is immediate electricity between them. And Alex spends her days in the house where she finds it impossible to concentrate on her dissertation and is welcomed downstairs to hang out with Jane and the band. Soon she's indulging in Jane's lifestyle. Eventually, she finds herself in a unique romantic scene.

Conflict is inevitable of course, and the film plays out in a predictable way. And, when I think of it, the storyline is a little silly. But I loved the fact that the film was about an unconventional lifestyle. And I was amazed at the intensity of Frances McDormand's performance, which called for a full gamut of emotions. She made every scene in which she appeared sparkle and all other scenes paled in comparison.

The film was written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko and even though the film is set in the present, there was a clear echo of the 1970s and the forces behind the rock music industry.

Very enjoyable film. I highly recommend it.


Well performed independent film   October 26, 2004
Nicholas Carroll (Portland OR United States)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This film represents the best in independent filmmaking. Instead of formulaic plot that's heavy on action and skimpy on the acting, what you get in this film are stellar performances and an interesting story, a sort of look into the complicated life of a rather conservative medical student, Sam (Christian Bale) and his girlfriend Alex (Kate Beckinsale, who looks great as usual) and his somewhat embarrassed relations with his free spirited Record producer mother (Frances McDormand). While there is little in plot, it hardly matters in a film like this, as the performances take you away into a world most have never seen, namely a record producer's studio in the Hollywood Hills (Laurel Canyon). The best scenes in this film are when Ian (brilliantly played by Alessandro Nivola in a very convincing British accent) is recording two songs, receiving instant feedback by Alex and Jane (McDormand). I absolutely love the songs he sings ("Shade and Honey" and "Someday I Will Treat You Good") and rushed out to buy the soundtrack cd after seeing this film in the theater. In fact, the entire soundtrack is good, and that's another reason why I love this film.

Frances McDormand's performance as a mother more interested in producing a record album than connecting with her son at his personal interests is outstanding and Oscar-worthy. She's so free spirited and independent, that it wasn't difficult for me to see why the younger Ian was attracted to her in the first place. She does have her limits though, when Ian wants a threesome with her and Alex, she breaks the mood and explains to him privately why it just wouldn't work. Alessander Nivola also has the best performance of his career, fooling me into thinking that he was a British actor, not an American one. He does that great of a job with the accent, and apparently, he's really singing too. As I watched this film, I was hoping that Alex would dump Sam and end up with him, because they seem well suited to one another.

Sam is the character I felt the most out of place, as I couldn't figure him out. He flirts with a fellow Med student, almost to the point of cheating, and we just don't get to see much chemistry between Sam and Alex, only that there is something standing in the way of those two, which probably had little to do with the thesis she struggled to write in Jane's house. The film ends without any kind of resolution, but its okay in a film like this. Independent films work because they don't follow standard plot rules, so long as the performances are strong (as they are in this film) and the story is compelling. The ending left me wanting more, but that's better than an ending where I wished they cut it down some. The musical choices on the soundtrack is the last ingredient that compels me to give this film five stars. It is a film that I watch regularly (every couple of months or so) and never get tired of doing so. This film has a certain "je ne sais quoi" quality I can't really describe, but compels me to watch over and over. The director deserves huge kudos for making a film like this, one that focuses on the characters and gives us a small slice of their lives, as incomplete as it is. Human relationships are often too complicated to be solved in a two hour movie, so I'm glad the director leaves the ending the way it is, with Sam taking a much needed mental health day to clear his head.


a fine movie   August 23, 2003
Michael Demarco (Middletown, RI United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I would like to preface this review by saying that I do not watch movies like this one. I would buy this movie except where do i put it on my shelf? Between Pulp Fiction and Gladiator? How can i admit to my friends that i liked this movie enough to buy it? anyway here is why i did like it.

No one has ever made a more entertaining casualty free movie. Well, first things first. This movie is about an engaged couple that moves from the east coast to California to stay with the guy's mom who works out of her house producing her boyfriends rock album. I think most peopple watching will expect an immediate culture clash between these hard-working yuppies and the drug abusing musicians but that's not what immediately happens. Its like Ed Norton says in "Fight Club", "people will do anything to avoid a fight"

The interesting thing about this film is that is juxtaposes the screw-ups with the non screw-ups and as any college kid knows, the life of the screw up is very appealing. What made this juxtaposition great was the awkwardness. I've never seen awkwardness so well depicted on the screen, especially in the scene in the car between Christian Bale and Natascha McElhone, which is the first scene in the movie that really made perk up. Until that scene I was skeptical about the movie.

Then, I ask you have you ever been so mad that you have almost no control of what you say and words just come streaming out of your mouth (many of them swears) and in the end you say about one third of the things you wanted to, but the other things were just casualties of your own emotional turbulence. Domestically I think many of us have, and there's a scene of that in this movie, and it was one of the most intense scenes I've ever seen. Christian Bale just erupts. And many actors would have simply gotten angry, they wouldn't have exposed the deep rooted fear this character has of screwing up. There is not another actor working today who could've have made this scene more electrifying (perhaps Daniel Day-Lewis) It is this scene that the movie builds toward and works hard to earn, and its success or failure held the film's meaning in the balance. It did not let me down. I will say I believe Christian Bale to be one of the finest actors making movies today.


Excellent Indie   May 22, 2004
Danielle Kuehnel (Oregon, USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Immediately drawn to anything with the name, "Christian Bale" in it, I saw "Laurel Canyon" as soon as it came out in theatres. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and the opening scene left me a bit skeptical. I'm not usually one for the artsy-independent films, but there was something about this one. The cinematography is beautiful and the characters are engaging and likeable, despite their vices.

After seeing the film, I have to admit that I was a bit shocked at some of the things that happened, but after thinking about it, the only way I can describe this film is, "absolutely beautiful." Everything about it is rhetorically savvy, with intelligently written parts, and wonderfully developed characters. It is almost as if the creators did a "mind experiment" in which well-developed characters, that we can relate to, are placed in uncharacteristic environments so that we may see the implications of one's actions and upbringing.

"Laurel Canyon's" music is superb; I reccommend the soundtrack if you enjoyed the songs.

I also strongly reccommend this film to anyone who: (a) enjoys indie films, (b) enjoys artistic films, (c) is attracted to beauty, and (d) likes to watch meaningful, thought-provoking films. Excellent, simply marvelous!


Risque and Dramatic   December 13, 2004
firecracker1515 (Washington)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I loved this movie. It isn't the average depiction of mother-son and boyfriend-girlfriend relationships. Introduces Sam (Christian Bale) and Alex (Kate Beckinsale) when they are in the middle of their relationship, which seems to be very stable and predictable and boring. The engaged couple both are attracted to other people and other lifestyles. The perfect portrayal of humans' nature to want both stability and spontinaety at the same time and how we all try to achieve both in our lives. Deals realistically with human emotion and desire, in the midst of temptation. Frances McDormand provides an awesome performance.