Written by Jennifer
December 19, 2011
Whether you focus on the time, the place, or the inhabitants, chances are, you’re going to want to leave.
You know what’s not interesting? Watching a bunch of Hollywood types moon about having existential crises, sipping wine, chatting, and (oh god) frequently singing forlorn folk songs. Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph bring us all of the above in Welcome to L.A., a colossally tiresome tour of CAA’s rolodex circa 1976.
The who’s who of 70’s cinema is easily the most intriguing aspect of Welcome to L.A.. Lauren Hutton, Sally Kellerman, Geraldine Chaplin, Harvey Keitel, Sissy Spacek, and Keith Carradine are all ridiculously young, which gives you the chance to say, “Hey, look how young they all are.” And Denver Pyle is there too. Everyone seems to be an utter failure at even the most basic forms of intimacy, but seek human connection through one night stands. Hot! (It’s not hot.)
Richard Baskin often stops everything to sing a mournful and cringe-inducing song which will leave you in a state of confusion as you try to figure out how you can reach for the remote while also covering both of your ears. The movie could just as easily be called Welcome to the Seventies, but whether you focus on the time, the place, or the inhabitants, chances are, you’re going to want to leave.
