I was really looking forward to this one. Anything with Frances in it is a must see for me. Frances tries something wonderful in this, and it works. She plays this pot-smoking, drinking, cursing, hitting-on-young-rock-stars forty plus successful record producer with an uptight son who is a psychiatrist. There was the potential for a great movie here and it falls far short of this. For one there is really no plot, the script meanders around. In Frances' hands it is riveting; in the others with their weird accents and an odd lack of depth to the characters it falls flat. I just waited for Frances to be on screen throughout the movie. This is a multi-layered performance and how she does it is why she is one of the best actors in the business today. Underneath this brilliant, crusty and rough exterior you see the odd flicker of vulnerability and you never for a moment doubt that though she hasn't got a clue as to who this son of hers is, she does love him. I found the other female characters mere shadows, not developed at all. I gave it a 6 - every one of them for Frances.
Review of Laurel Canyon
