Movie Loner

I’ve written the praises of writer/director Lisa Cholodenko on these pages before. Her cultured debut High Art garnered attention for resurrecting the career of 80s brat-packer Ally Sheedy, but Cholodenko’s talented eye couldn’t be ignored. High Art explored the drug-addled world of New York City photography. In Laurel Canyon Cholodenko heads west to Los Angeles and delves into the laid-back party hard music industry.

Christian Bale plays Sam, a tightly-wound Harvard med school grad who lands a prestigious Psychiatry internship in LA. Joining him is his introverted girlfriend Alex (Kate Beckinsale), who is completing her dissertation on the reproductive habits of fruit flies. The couple moves in with Sam’s mother, Jane (Frances McDormand), a free-spirited record producer. Sam and Alex’s prim-n-proper lifestyle is soon disrupted by Jane and her latest boyfriend Ian’s band as they finish recording an album.

Jane’s rock-n-roll scene brings about temptation for both Sam and Alex. Sam takes a liking to the beautiful Sara, a fellow resident at the hospital. Alex’s protective shell begins to crack the more time she spends with Jane and Ian. Career obsessed Sam gets drunk and hangs with Sara. Studious Alex smokes pot and hangs with the band. The increased time apart puts a strain on Sam and Alex’s relationship. They let their guards down, allowing a little fun into their staid lives. However, desire can prove to be a costly emotion.

Laurel Canyon demonstrates there is a thin line between adulthood and childhood. Jane never really grew up. Sam grew up too soon. The tense mother/son dynamic is at the heart of the film. Bale is quite good as the son desperately seeking his mother’s approval. McDormand scores as usual portraying the mother whose love for her son is masked by her unwillingness to accept the parental role. Also worth noting is Alessandro Nivola; his turn as Casanova front-man Ian McKnight steals the movie. Lisa Cholodenko is a filmmaker to watch. She is currently shooting The Kids Are All Right which should be released early next year. I’ll be on the lookout.

The trailer for Laurel Canyon: