California (1993)

Directed by: Dominic Sena | 117 minutes | crime, drama, thriller | Actors: Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, Michelle Forbes, Kathy Larson, David Milford, John Zarchen, David Rose, Tommy Chappelle, Judson Vaughn, Patricia Sill, Brett Rice, Marisa Raper, Bill Crabb, Mary Ann Hagan, Jerry G. White, Sarah Sullivan, Eric Stenson, Mars Callahan, Patricia Hunte, Loanne Bishop, Ron Kuhlman, Sierra Pecheur, John Dullaghan, James Michael McDougal

In the first half of the 1990s, Hollywood was full of commercially successful road movies, from the bizarre ‘Wild at Heart’ (1990) to the original ‘Thelma and Louise’ (1991). ‘Kalifornia’ forms a nice bridge from the aforementioned films to the nouvelle violence, which would dominate the second half of the nineties with ‘Pulp Fiction’ as the driving force. Directed by the unknown Dominic Sena, this film also stands for confirmation of Brad Pitt’s versatile talent, fully unfurling in ‘Kalifornia’ as the maladjusted psychotic Early Grayce.

‘Kalifornia’ already has one foot in the violent film world of Tarantino and co., but it still relies clearly on the old-fashioned Hollywood law that the good guys should win and live happily ever after. The film is therefore a bit in two minds. Sympathy must go to the somewhat bland couple Duchovny/Forbes – note the staggeringly mechanical sex scene at the motel, while the dysfunctional duo Pitt/Lewis steals the show. However, the basic idea is strong: put a few arty types in a car with two derailed youths and question the difference between good and evil. Journalist Brian becomes increasingly fascinated with Early, who finds an insult a reason to horribly help a fellow man into the other world, and the underprivileged Adele – played touchingly by Juliette Lewis, who is well trained for her role in ‘Natural Born’. Killers’ – sees a new role model in the stylized photographer Carrie. However, the fact is not sufficiently elaborated; especially the role of Carrie, who as an emancipated woman has to comment on the relationship between Early and Adele, is a nuisance. Carrie’s politically correct behavior clashes with the build-up of tension centered around Early’s boiling over and loses all credibility when she and Brian don’t flee the moment Early goes off the rails for good. Michelle Forbes is clearly too weak for her opponents, although even the more experienced David Duchovny (‘The X Files’) can’t do anything startling against the disturbing Pitt, who single-handedly takes the entire film to the next level. When he is in the picture, you as a viewer only have to pay attention to one thing; he fascinates as a clumsy boy and as an unscrupulous monster.

The film keeps its tension and remains exciting until the moment that Pitt disappears from view and we are left with a weak ending. ‘Kalifornia’ should have relied more on its promising core idea and less on tried and tested marketing strategies, then it would have become a top film.