The American film ‘Laurel Canyon’ was an absorbing film. It asked of its main characters a question that I guess is put to all of us during our lives. How do we find that delicate balance between the need for freedom and responsibility?!.

This theme is brought out in a troubled mother and son relationship. Jane is a charismatic, flamboyant record producer who had her son Alex at a very early age. Jane has always been some thing of a wild thing, and is more than a little wary when her straight laced son, Sam, and his even straighter fiancé Alex, come to live with her for a while.

Frances McDormand gave a memorable performance as the flower child mum. This was a journey of a self centred, hedonistic woman who has to take responsibility for some of her own slackness and lack of empathy.

Christian Bale gave a well measured performance as the son in what was a large journey. He plays his character as a bit adolescent and arrogant, who sees everything as black and white, and then grows to see things in a more mature light.

Kate Beckinsale had an interesting role as Sam’s fiance, Alex. At first Alex is totally resistant to her new ‘world’ however she soon gets drawn in by Jane and Ian’s charm, and goes through something of a personality transformation herself.

In supporting roles, Alessandra Nivola played Jane’s toy boy rock singer, and Natascha McEllhone as Sam’s Israeli colleague and admirer, played two very sensual, uninhibited, even morally unscrupulous people.