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Laurel Canyon
2002
Just out of Harvard medical school, Sam (Christian Bale) and his fiancee Alex (Kate Beckinsale) seem destined for a life of privilege. Intending to find an apartment of their own in Los Angeles--where Sam will do his residency and Alex will complete her dissertation--they decide to stay temporarily with Jane (Francis McDormand),.. Read more
| Starring | Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone |
|---|---|
| Director | Lisa Cholodenko |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian |
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Laurel Canyon
Just out of Harvard medical school, Sam (Christian Bale) and his fiancee Alex (Kate Beckinsale) seem destined for a life of privilege. Intending to find an apartment of their own in Los Angeles--where Sam will do his residency and Alex will complete her dissertation--they decide to stay temporarily with Jane (Francis McDormand), Sam's free-spirited, record producer mother who never provided straight-arrow Sam with the stability he so obviously craves. Jane has just left her longtime lover for Ian (Alessandro Nivolo), the young British musician whose band she is producing. At the expense of her studies, Alex gradually becomes entranced by Jane's carefree, pot-smoking ways--as well as by Ian--at the same time that Sam encounters temptation at the hospital in the form of Sara (Natasha McElhone), a beautiful young resident.
Lisa Cholodenko's (HIGH ART) film uses an unconventional mother-son relationship to examine how parents' decisions affect our lifestyle choices as adults. Playing the flipside of her role in ALMOST FAMOUS, McDormand imbues Jane with the appropriate libertine's spirit, an attitude that she finally turns her back on when it finally gets in the way of her son's future. An effective score by Craig Wedren and memorable songs by Sparklehorse lend authenticity to the film's music business backdrop.
| Starring | Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, Alessandro Nivola, Russell Pollard, Imaad Wasif |
|---|---|
| Director | Lisa Cholodenko |
| Studio | SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 39 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Feisty Females |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Dubbed | French, Spanish |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Spanish |
| Released | DVD: 26 Apr 2004 Production year: 2002 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Temptation clashes with emotional responsibility in American writer/director Lisa Cholodenko's second feature. Like her debut, High Art, it's an engaging and skilfully observed drama, depicting the moth-to-a-flame effect of radically divergent personalities. Only here, events take an almost satirical tone, as conservative couple Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsale find their relationship threatened by 1960s-style bohemianism, when they move in with his LA music-biz mother, Frances McDormand. In a polar opposite role to her Almost Famous character, free-spirited McDormand is wonderfully sensual, delivering a strong performance that's fortunately way more authentic than the “cutting edge” British rock band she's producing. Disappointingly though Cholodenko only scratches the surface of her libertine lifestyle and, while this makes for some amusing scenes, the film's not daring enough to explain Bale and Beckinsale's extreme reactions. Ultimately it's an entertaining picture, with plenty of salient points about love, trust and life, but it needs to go further to fulfil its overall promise.
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A generational clash between a middle-aged leather-clad hippie and her conservative son degenerates into standard soap opera fare.
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Most helpful member's review
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45 out of 55 people found this review helpful
A little film with plenty of charm. Lisa Cholodenko, with a little help from brilliant production designer Catherine Hardwick (Thirteen), proves that she is a pro when it comes to writing character studies. Laurel Canyon is a touching tale delving into the consequences poor communication can have on individuals, their family, lovers and friends. Lisa Cholodenko's first feature film High Art already set her up as a brilliant screenwriter and director. Both films have a real feel about them, a strong atmosphere. Lisa has a knack for casting just the right actors - in this case Frances McDormand and Kate Beckinsale steal the show - and adding a spot-on soundtrack as a finishing touch.
I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good character study and strong visual images. -
Most recent members' review
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45 out of 55 people found this review helpful
A little film with plenty of charm. Lisa Cholodenko, with a little help from brilliant production designer Catherine Hardwick (Thirteen), proves that she is a pro when it comes to writing character studies. Laurel Canyon is a touching tale delving into the consequences poor communication can have on individuals, their family, lovers and friends. Lisa Cholodenko's first feature film High Art already set her up as a brilliant screenwriter and director. Both films have a real feel about them, a strong atmosphere. Lisa has a knack for casting just the right actors - in this case Frances McDormand and Kate Beckinsale steal the show - and adding a spot-on soundtrack as a finishing touch.
I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good character study and strong visual images. -
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Just out of Harvard medical school, Sam (Christian Bale) and his fiancee Alex (Kate Beckinsale) seem destined for a life of privilege. Intending to find an apartment of their own in Los Angeles--... -