neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Laurel Canyon
	Lisa Cholodenko Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, Alessandro Nivola 2002		She spawned a straight-arrow son pursuing a career in psychiatric medicine, but hippie single mom/record producer Jane, played with an easy, sexy air by Frances McDormand ("Fargo"), lives a rock 'n' roll lifestyle in her roomy home-with-recording-studio in the hills above Hollywood. A middling, new-age comedy, "Laurel Canyon" is built on reverse generational conflict. Uptight Sam (Christian Bale), alienated from his Boho mother Jane, returns to L.A. from his Boston studies to start a residency at a mental hospital. He and stuffy fiancée/grad student Alex (Kate Beckinsale) thought they'd have Jane's place to themselves. But Jane is still at the Laurel Canyon abode to produce a single for a band whose young, charming vocalist Ian (Alessandro Nivola) is her paramour. Alex tries to write her dissertation at the house while Jane and Ian are getting stoned and romping around the pool; Sam is distracted at the hospital, where he's tempted by a lovely colleague (Natascha McElhone). Although Sam and Alex feel their inhibitions dissolving, writer/director Lisa Cholodenko's payoff isn't orgasmic enough. Only McDormand brings any resonance to "Laurel Canyon."