Laurel Canyon (2002)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Lisa Cholodenko

Writer (WGA):

Lisa Cholodenko (written by)

Release Date:

5 June 2003 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

On the road to the perfect life, Sam & Alex took a little detour.

Plot:

When an uptight young man and his fiancee move into his libertine mother's house, the resulting clash of life attitudes shakes everyone up.

Plot Keywords:

Fiancee | House | Dissertation | Psychiatrist | Intern

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Frances McDormand	...	Jane
Christian Bale	...	Sam
Kate Beckinsale	...	Alex
Natascha McElhone	...	Sara
Alessandro Nivola	...	Ian McKnight
Lou Barlow	...	Fripp (as Louis Knox Barlow)
Russell Pollard	...	Rowan
Imaad Wasif	...	Dean
Mickey Petralia	...	Mickey
Melissa De Sousa	...	Claudia
Alexandra Carter	...	Darla
Michelle DeMirjian	...	China (as Michelle Demirjian)
Rick Gonzalez	...	Wyatt
Dennis Howard	...	Mr. Elliot
Catherine McGoohan	...	Mrs. Elliot

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, language and drug use.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-11 | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18PL | Australia:MA | Denmark:7 | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:R(A) | Sweden:7 | UK:18 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Canada:AA

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Antidote Films (I)

Trivia:

Red Hot Chili Peppers appear among the musicians in Jane's photo gallery too.

Goofs:

Continuity: The album-wrap party takes place in a suite on an upper floor of the Chateau Marmont (we see Ian order more champagne for the "penthouse suite", and the view from the balcony is clearly an upper floor). Yet when Sam storms out of the suite, then runs downstairs while arguing with Jane, they only descend one flight before reaching the lobby. There is a cut, but the dialog implies that no time was cut from their descent.

Quotes:

Jane: Are we ever gonna have a relationship?
Sam: Here we are - having it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Bonnie and Clyde

Absorbing character study with California ambience

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.