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| LAUREL CANYON (2003) | |
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story surrounds Sam's (Christian Bale) mother Jane (Frances McDormand) who
is a successful pleasure-seeking record producer in California. Sam
escaped the hedonistic life style of his mother to seek a more responsible
spot in the world through attending the Harvard Medical School from which
he has recently graduated with a emphasis in psychiatry. In
addition, Sam has furthered his rebellion against his mothers life style
by proposing to a beautiful Harvard scientist, Alex (Kate Beckinsale).
The perfectionist Alex moves with Sam to California where she can work on
her thesis in regards to fruit flies and Sam can begin his residency in
psychiatry. In order to save some money Sam and Alex move
temporarily into Jane's house, which is a haven for drugs, sex, and
rock-n-roll. Alex, who grew up in a rigid life style with country
clubs and specific societal rules, are fascinated by Jane's life style and
begins to explore the world that she never has experienced, which is about
to lead into an emotionally painful journey.
Laurel Canyon is a terrific film about inhibitions, choices, and love, which Lisa Cholodenko embodies through the different characters. Cholodenko depicts the personal rules of the characters through social interactions between the characters as well as in the mise-en-scene. These personal rules are about to be broken as the characters are set in a society where rules are not the norm or wanted. This leads to interpersonal conflicts as it will most certainly hurt the individuals in the social setting in which they live. The conflicts lead the audience to ponder what is acceptable and desirable in our contemporary society where many different norms exists. In essence these norms are scrutinized through the fine direction and performance by an excellent cast. |
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USA |
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| REVIEWED | |
| 9/24/2003 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
