McDormand and Bale are gods, of course, but the real delight here is Nivola.
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03/12/03
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Laurel Canyon (2003)
67
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:107
Fresh:72
Rotten:35
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Though the movie itself is flawed, McDormand is fantastic as Jane.
Theatrical Release:Mar 7, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $3,596,939
Synopsis: Laurel Canyon is a street that runs through the heart of the Hollywood Hills, joining the middle-class, stolid environs of the San Fernando Valley to the heart of the city of Los Angeles. The... [More]
Starring: Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
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Reviews for Laurel Canyon
Cholodenko has an extraordinarily assured hand; the subtle and detailed touches with which she sets each scene force you to take her characters seriously, no matter how superficial and contrived their plight.
03/11/03
Laurel Canyon isn’t about philandering but it’s about something just as real: emotional drift. The film captures with razor precision the subatomic electric spark between two people who are feeling and fighting an attraction to one another.
03/10/03
Laurel Canyon explores how the love of a serious and sober couple is challenged by the hedonistic sexuality of those they encounter in this California community.
03/09/03
Laurel Canyon is neither profound or particularly insightful about the Mephistophelean bargain that success in show business often represents. But it is also never dull, riding along on McDormand's blazing performance.
03/08/03
McDormand seems to know how to get the most out of the smoggy material, giving one of her most natural and appealing characterizations.
03/07/03
[McDormand] makes both the character and her Laurel Canyon sanctuary feel genuinely lived.
03/07/03
Top CriticMcDormand's powerhouse performance alone compensates for many minor deficiencies.
03/07/03
All the performances are strong, but McDormand, Bale and Nivola's are most powerful.
03/07/03
The devices that run this strained comedy are as shallow as some of the residents in the titular Hollywood neighborhood.
03/07/03
It's worth a visit if you want to check out the latest emotional vibes emanating from the Hollywood Hills.
03/07/03
Cholodenko ... takes the scenario beyond cliché by creating a raft of fully fledged characters and giving the tale a generational twist.
03/07/03
Laurel Canyon may be more a vibe than a movie. And that's precisely its power.
03/07/03
Top CriticIt reminds of what Cholodenko is capable--and of the promise that she might get there again.
03/07/03
Although the film occasionally feels a bit forced or manipulative, it never loses its overall sense of credibility. Frances Mcdormand is simply great as Jane, and as usual never disappoints
03/07/03
It reconfirms the filmmaker's talent as an acutely observant chronicler of upscale bohemian subcultures.
03/06/03
Top CriticThere wasn't a moment in the film that I didn't enjoy, but neither was there anything that got my mind or heart racing.
03/06/03
One of Cholodenko's strengths here is in her casting, particularly that of McDormand and Nivola.
03/06/03
It has power above and below the waist, and proves that not all the navels in L.A. are in the oranges.
03/06/03
Top CriticWhat rescues this situation from the formulaic banality it seems to be headed toward is the seriousness with which the filmmakers take the actual work being done by the various characters.
03/06/03
Top CriticLatest News for Laurel Canyon
October 19, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Flags" Flies High; "The Prestige" Is Magic; "Flicka" Is A Pretty Good Ride; "Marie Antoinette" Spared Critical Guillotine
This week at the movies, we've got a complex tale of heroism (Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers," starring Ryan Phillippe), a story of dueling magicians... More...
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