Laurel Canyon *** (2002, Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale) – Classic Movie Review 1533

You don’t expect to see Oscar-winner Frances McDormand playing a free-spirited record producer prone to wild parties and taking dope, with her tongue down the throat of the fiancée (Kate Beckinsale) of her estranged son Sam (Christian Bale), both in bed and the swimming pool, or her showing her boobs or saying the C-word. But that’s what you get in Lisa Cholodenko’s somewhat scandalous 2002 noirish drama. It’s a bit of a farrago, but an interesting one. It keeps you wondering ‘whatever next?’ and so you can’t really take your eyes off it.

It’s the kind of movie where you do expect to see two or three murders and a shady private eye – but alas you don’t get any of that at all. Nevertheless, without too much actually happening, this remains an intriguing little film about sexual tensions and personal relationships.

However, if they had just got on with (A) the three-way sex between McDormand. Beckinsale and Alessandro Nivola (as McDormand’s boyfriend Ian, the lead singer of the band she’s producing) and (B) the extra-curricular fling with Bale and beautiful Israeli intern Sara (Natascha McElhone), this movie would have been a lot more enjoyable.

What has happened is that newly graduated psychiatrist Sam and his fiancée have moved to Los Angeles into the house of Sam’s mother, who unfortunately is still there, finishing a record that she’s producing for Ian but busier smoking pot and drinking than working, upsetting Sam but not the fiancée.

Still, despite all the eye-opening shenanigans, even if it ultimately doesn’t deliver too much Laurel Canyon is attractively teasing, nicely acted and well made, with good-looking production designs from future Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke and eye-catching camerawork by cinematographer Wally Pfister with striking location work in the actual Laurel Canyon.

Getting right into her character, McDormand really impresses, though Bale may not be really credible as her son, but Nivola pulls off a difficult role of cockney rock star.

It’s all quite fun in a gossipy sort of way and the music’s pretty good too.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1533

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