Laurel Canyon (2002)

Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Starring: Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale & Natascha McElhone

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Another quiet film by the writer/director of High Art, Laurel Canyon seeks to describe a way of life in the Los Angeles canyon country that exists between Hollywood and the Valley. Unfortunately Cholodenko stretches her story and her characters too far. Characters take actions a regular human being never would. The plot is ambiguous. The motivating factor behind the film is vague if it even exists. It's a fun film to watch if you're a Frances McDormand fan. Unfortunately, there's not much more to the film other than her great performance. It has too many characters with too little motivation and a plot that doesn't hold up even under the most preliminary examination. Watch High Art instead.

March 8
apartment TV, morning

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