There are some interesting characters in some interesting situations here but nothings really all that developed and variousdifferent conflicts that are there are never fully exploited. Something needs to happen here because the characters aren't fully developed enough to carry a "slice of life' story the way this story is presented. There needed to be more tension between the characters, more emotion, more sex, more something. I picked up this film because Frances McDormand is in it, but this isn't one of better performances. She doesn't really get inside her characters like she normally does. It's an external performance and consequently the viewer is just left with a forty-something actress acting the role of a forty-something record producer who gets stoned. There, unfortunately isn't a moment when Frances McDormand is on screen where we forget it's her.
Review of Laurel Canyon
