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144 reviews in total

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45 out of 58 people found the following review useful:
A Great Tour -de-Force for McDormand, 26 January 2005

Author: ManOfLit from West Hollywood, CA, United States

This is an insightful and truly under-appreciated film. And, as anyone who has lived in the Hollywood/ West Hollywood area can attest, the film is also a very accurate portrayal of LA life in the biz. Bale and Beckinsale shine as well. Definitely McDormand's best work outside of "Fargo"; her versatility and talent continue to amaze and impress. The producers' choice of music is perfect and truly reflects the mood and tone of the film--it makes me want to go out and buy the soundtrack. :) Also, "Laurel Canyon" shows how frail and tenuous life's relationships can be. By straying from the "norms" of his serious, medical student world, Bale understands his mother's complexities and foibles and thus establishes the bond with her that he has possibly sought all his life. Well done!! *** 1/2

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42 out of 53 people found the following review useful:
Terrific character piece, wish it had an ending, 10 March 2003

Author: Spanner-2 from United States

In this film, currently playing only the arthouse theaters, Christian Bale brings his fiance (Kate Beckinsale) to L.A. to live in his mom's house temporarily while they try to find their own place. His mom however, is a free spirited record producer prone to wild parties and doping... and is also sleeping with the lead singer (Alessandro Nivola) of the band she is producing. Frances McDormand plays the mom and is terrific in the role, as she shows that she loves her life and does care about her estranged son, even as she winds up seducing Beckinsale's character into her lifestyle. The cast is great, the location work in Laurel Canyon is terrific and the characters are all interesting people. My only gripe would be about the ending, or lack thereof.. the film just kindof ends without a resolution. GRADE: A-

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30 out of 35 people found the following review useful:
Subtle, Rich, Film With Fine Performances, 11 June 2004
Author: dep_k from LA, CA

If you like being smacked in the face and having characters who behave in emotionally "traceable" ways (i.e., whose motivations are apparent as soon as they act), you won't like this film but what a joy it is to watch a film unfold in layers, slowly, subtly, un-rushed, in a way that most American films don't allow, too much in a rush to get to the next "plot point" and too obsessed with big dramatic turns. Audiences have to be fed such things, constantly, or they'll lose interest, right? Wrong, I hope. And, Laurel Canyon makes the point better than a debate ever will. This is a remarkable piece of tapestry in muted tones and hues, populated by complicated, confused, uncertain, searching people. And, they change. But, they change by degrees, not by full turns of the wheel. Kate Beckinsale should watch this film over and over, and get out of the Spandex and Leather of the comic book films she's been doing. She and Frances McDormand are as real as any two actors you'll ever see on film. There are a couple of possible story "cop outs" in this film, which we won't mention because they'd spoil the story. But, in the end, they might not be cop-outs at all. They might be preferable to answering all the questions and delivering us from the theatre all neatly reconciled and sent off to coffee and desert. Good for you, Lisa Cholodenko. A brave choice and a fine film.

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34 out of 48 people found the following review useful:
Well Enough, 29 December 2003
Author: wmjgas59

I really enjoy reading other folks reviews of films I have seen. It is interesting to see how personal perspective is, well, personal.

I have been a paid critic in the past and have often explained to folks that opinions are just that, opinion. So I will endeavor to explain my case for this fine film.

This is a story of a journey. It is not the journey the characters think they're taking. It is the odd place they go on their way to what they thought they wanted. In that way, it is a lot like life.

You have the fish out of water aspect. A young couple wonders into his mother's life. A life he has never appreciated or enjoyed. His girlfriend, on the other hand, seems primed for the hedonism she encounters.

The mother (played to amazing life by Frances McDormand) is a record producer with a successful business life and a spotty personal one. She's in the midst of recording a record when her son descends. But it is the young man who fronts the group she's producing that has both her and her son's girlfriend in a lather.

There are emotional affairs flying about. There is moral condescension from characters who've been less than honorable.

On top of a good to great cast of principal actors, there's the soundtrack of flat-out great music.

Well directed, admirably cast, with an ambiguous and thoughtful script, plus enough sexual tension to fuel a score of teen comedies. Great flick. Bring your moral compass, and your ears.

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20 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
A well-made character study, `Laurel Canyon,' explores the reasons for the distress and resentment that can reside between parents and their children., 9 June 2003

Author: ilovedolby from New York State

People are often disappointed in the ones that love them or the ones that they love. This disappointment can stem from the mistakes made by parents in the upbringing of their children, or perhaps the simple differences that separate family members. It is this frustration that plagues Christian Bale's character, Sam, in the film `Laurel Canyon.' A well-made character study, `Laurel Canyon,' explores the reasons for the distress and resentment that can reside between parents and their children. `Laurel Canyon' is about a man named Sam (Bale) and his fiancé Alex (Kate Bekinsale) who move to California so he can begin his medical residency at a local hospital and she can finish her dissertation. The pair moves in with Sam's mom Jane (Frances McDormand) who is record producer who lives on Laurel Canyon Road in Hollywood. Although she is in her mid 40s, she lives the life of a rock star, smoking pot, drinking, partying, and hanging out with her rock star boyfriend Ian (Alessandro Nivola), who is 16 years younger than she. Sam and Jane are always at odds with each other as he is ultraconservative and Jane is like a teenager. The two must weed out their problems and come to terms with each other about the mistakes that Jane made while bringing up Sam. Although a bit slow at times, `Laurel Canyon' was an interesting film that has its lighthearted and touching moments. It's funny to watch the subtle changes that begin in the characters lives. Alex, although conservative like Sam, is slowly being drawn into the free spirited world of Jane's home, with her parties and rock friends always around. Sam is being tempted by the fruit of another woman named Sara (Natascha McElhone), as their share their sexual desires with each other over private conversations in a car. And even Jane is beginning to recognize her own faults-she had several lovers throughout her life is starting to feel the need to settle on just one, Ian. Every character starts to understand that they are all the extreme end of different spectrums and they must learn to meet somewhere in the middle. The acting in the film was excellent. Every actor was believable and to a certain extent, the audience can feel their pain and happiness. McDormand (`Fargo') and Bale (`Empire of The Sun') steal the show with their amazing abilities to transcend the characters in the script to the dynamic people they present on the screen. Praise must also be given to Bekinsale (`Pearl Harbor') and Nivola (`Jurassic Park 3') for their exceptional performances.

One other superior quality of `Laurel Canyon' was the music, some of which was sung by Nivola. The soundtrack holds a great deal of classic rock songs from groups such as `Steely Dan,' `Leroy' and `Mercury Rev.'

Overall, `Laurel Canyon' was a very good movie that reminds its audience to look beyond the surface of things and to see what really matters in all relationships-love. ***

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Absorbing character study with California ambience, 2 March 2003
Author: Brennan-8 from Miami, Florida

I saw this film at the Miami International Film Festival and was thoroughly absorbed and entertained. I don't know if it will be as successful as the director's much-lauded "High Art" from several years ago; "Laurel Canyon" is not as serious, though it does explore some of the same themes. All of the performances are pitch-perfect. I suspect audiences will especially enjoy and identify with Kate Beckinsale's character: a studious and sheltered young doctoral student who takes to the hedonistic Los Angeles lifestyle in a big way. Frances McDormand and Christian Bale are also wonderful.

Music is almost another character in this film; it pervades the atmosphere. The music, by such artists as Mercury Rev and Clinic, complements and underscores the dynamics between the characters. It's been awhile since I've seen a movie with such an intoxicating sense of place as well: whether accurate or not, Los Angeles is portrayed as a sybaritic wonderland. The film revels in the sensuality and freedom of this rarefied realm, and it's intriguing to see the effect on the young couple.

When Frances McDormand's music producer character asks Alex her opinion on the record she's producing, Alex declines, saying she doesn't know much about popular music. McDormand responds, "Follow your instincts. It either pulls you in or it doesn't." This movie pulled me in.

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13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Captivating Trivial Story, 12 October 2006

Author: vasco_cid (vasco_cid@hotmail.com) from Chamusca, Portugal

Laurel Canyon deals about the adversities you have to deal with whether you are more or less experienced. Every character on this story has different experiences: some are more naïve, some are more bohemian, some are more averse, and some don't care at all, but all of them have consciously made a mistake. I say consciously because there's no such thing as someone making mistakes in these situations without thinking thoroughly about the outcome. The premise and development are as simple as it can be, but simplicity doesn't mean banality. The screenplay in its simplicity has an incredible depth and reliability, whether it is on the awkward situations characters get into, or the sexual adventures, that some of us have been through. And to those who have, this movie speaks our language, because it relies on us and us in it. This is why some independent movies are such a pleasure to watch, because even though we are not there, we are those characters.

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17 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
The impact of this film is somehow minimalized by a 'so what' attitude, 5 May 2003

Author: marxi from Louisville, Kentucky

"Laurel Canyon" is a story about 'family'. The grown son (Christian Bale) of a record producer (Frances McDormand) ends up bringing his girl friend (Kate Bekinsdale) to California. They expected to stay in his mother's empty home while he worked at a psychiatric hospital and she worked on a thesis. Due to a schedule change, his mother is still in the home when he and his girl friend arrive. It is obvious that there is substantial tension and resentment on the son's side of the relationship. He feels his mother was not a good parent and that she is irresponsible, and she is still living the carefree and wild lifestyle she has always lived. His curious girlfriend is drawn into the lives of his mother and her boyfriend (Allesandro Nivola), with the potential for disastrous results.

Frances McDormand does a fine job as the mother. Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsdale are also good as the young couple. Allesandro Nivola is entertaining as the mother's current lover. This is a nicely done film. However, something seems a bit flat and the story line doesn't pick up as much steam as a good drama should. It tends to have a 'so what' mentality about the immorality taking place, and the result is that the impact of the film is minimalized. Christian Bale and Frances McDormand have a poignant scene at the end of "Laurel Canyon", but again the film strangely mutes the power which the actors imbue their characters with.

I'd rate this film a 70/100. Fans of the actors involved will enjoy seeing their favorites on the screen, but others will most likely be a bit disappointed by this movie.

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12 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
beautifully acted drama, 8 November 2003
Author: Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

`Laurel Canyon' is an intriguing character-driven drama, written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko and featuring first-rate performances by Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Alessandro Nivola and Natascha McElhone.

Sam (Bale) and Alex (Beckinsale) are recent Harvard med school grads who move to Southern California to begin a new phase in their lives, he as a resident in a psychiatric ward and she as a genetics researcher working on her PhD. While there, the young couple moves in with Sam's mother, Jane (McDormand), an aging, hard-living but highly successful music producer who owns a gorgeous residence (in Hollywood's posh Laurel Canyon) that also doubles as a recording studio. Sam, an earnest, rigid, almost prudish young man, has long rejected the free-wheeling lifestyle of his mother whom he considers more of an embarrassment than anything else. The brainy Alex, on the other hand, who graduated first in their highly competitive class, has led a more `sheltered' existence and she finds herself strangely drawn to the hedonistic atmosphere she finds here. Another factor pulling the couple apart is the growing relationship between Sam and Sara (McElhone), the beautiful young resident who works with him at the hospital. The fifth element in the mix is Ian (Nivola), a smooth-talking, cocky young singer who, though officially attached to the much-older Jane, plays a primary role in getting Alex to loosen up, shed her inhibitions, and come join their little `party.'

`Laurel Canyon' plays out like a `civilized' power struggle, with the various characters jockeying for position, staking out their territory, and attempting to pull certain key individuals into their own respective corners. Alex, with her air of naïve innocence, is clearly the main `prize' here, but Sam also feels a noticeable tug from Sara, who senses in her co-worker a kindred spirit she would like to get to know better. These are people playing with fire – Jane and Ian in particular – and one of the messages of `Laurel Canyon' seems to be that a life conducted without a clear moral code will end up in disaster for all concerned. However, Cholodenko does not seem exactly enamored of Sam's provincialism either, seeing it as a wall he has constructed in order to hide from the truth of his own nature.

McDormand makes an indelible impression as the intriguing but somewhat pathetic Jane, a woman who's failed as a mother primarily because she's never been able to grow up and accept adult responsibility. The few encounters we are privy to between mother and son are searing in their intensity, but `Laurel Canyon' keeps its confrontation scenes to a minimum, choosing instead to find its meaning in the things that are NOT said rather than in the things that are. That's a risky strategy that generally pays off, though some in the audience may find the subtlety and lack of a clear-cut resolution unsatisfying and even frustrating in the long run. The plotting is sometimes a bit too clear-cut and neat for its own good and the parallelism (i.e. the simultaneous drifting apart of Sam and Alex due to their respective `temptations') sometimes feels forced and obvious. The parallelism is less obtrusive in the case of Sam's patient, a 16-year old boy whose drug addiction is placed in stark opposition to the `casual, recreational' drug use of Jane and her music-making cohorts. Moreover, having Sam and Alex be a married couple rather than just boyfriend and girlfriend might have intensified some of the moral complexities and dilemmas faced by the characters. Still, the caliber of both the acting and the writing keeps us involved for the duration of the film.

`Laurel Canyon' spins a unique tale in a relatively unfamiliar setting and provides five fine actors an opportunity to really display the perfection of their craft.

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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
"I'd much rather be in here than out there in that cold world...", 24 July 2008

Author: Michael DeZubiria (miked32@hotmail.com) from Luoyang, China

It has taken me years to get around to watching Laurel Canyon, even after having lived in Los Angeles and worked in West Hollywood for a year and a half. There is more about the southern California lifestyle to dislike than can ever be explained in less than 1,000 words, and this movie takes on really just a tiny, tiny part of it, but it paints a picture of show business life clashing with 'normal' life that matches the reality that I experienced there with astonishing accuracy.

Of course, a lot of the effect comes from the location shooting. Anyone from Los Angeles will instantly recognize many of the locations, particularly things like the Château Marmont hotel (where, incidentally, Lindsay Lohan lived for months and months in 2006 while she couldn't seem to stop partying enough to find a real apartment) and, more importantly, that charming cafe at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Kirkwood Drive, where I often used to go for coffee.

Jim Morisson's house, a few feet away, is sadly overlooked, which is strange since the movie is about the hectic world behind the scenes of the music industry. Christian Bale plays the part of Sam, a young professional, a psychiatrist already tired of his profession and struggling to start a life with his young wife, Alex. Kate Beckinsale is the perfect embodiment of a young bride horrified by the debauchery taking place around her, as she and Sam move into his mother's house to find, to their dismay, that she has not moved out as promised, but is still there recording music with some dirty, stoned musicians. It is truly remarkable how flawlessly Francisc McDormand fits into the role of the aging mother still stuck in a rock star lifestyle. She is truly one of our most versatile actors!

While the relationship between Sam and Alex is realistic and convincing enough (especially Sam's dismay at bringing Alex around his mother, and his clearly desperate need not to displease her - note the way he looks at her when he declines his mother's offer of a drink...), but the mother-son relationship is not believable in the slightest.

But this, however, is not something that I think the movie is shooting for. This is not a family drama, it's a comparison of different lifestyles, sort of a peek into the craziness of show business life juxtaposed with everyday American society (the educated kind, at least), and how completely different and unmixable they are. Unmixable? Is that a word? Anyway, you get the idea. Water and oil. It's nearly impossible to imagine a smart, well-balanced young man entering his career as a psychiatrist having come from the environment that Jane (McDormand) would have provided him during childhood, but the situational drama that comes from their relationship is revelatory about both lifestyles.

The actual neighborhoods and the style of the houses in that part of Hollywood are presented perfectly, thanks in no small part to the location shooting, but it also captures the attitude in many ways as well. I will say that I found the ending to be a bit sudden, but if nothing else, it's one of those movies that makes you think. You may find yourself imagining one lifestyle or the other, and comparing your own thoughts to how the people in the movie were living. It makes you think, and while I found some scenes and situations a little too far of a stretch (Sam's fascination with the darker lifestyle is interesting, but getting involved sexually with her husband's mother? Yeah RIGHT...), it's still an interesting and well-written drama.

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