Some films become unjustly obscure because of unfortunate timing. They are forgotten because, for one reason or another, look too much like the much bigger, more hyped or more talked about films that came before and after. This happened to Kalifornia, 1993 thriller drama directed by Dominic Sena, film which was unlucky to look too similar to vastly inferior Natural Born Killers.
Film’s narrator and protagonist is Brian Kessler (played by David Duchovny), failed writer who dreams of turning his life and career by moving to California with his girlfriend, photographer Carrie Laughlin (played by Michelle Forbes). His idea is to finance that with a book that would deal with America’s most infamous serial killers. Research, however, requires him to travel to site associated with that dark subject and he lacks money for fuel. He gets an idea to put an ad for a couple that would join them on their journey in exchange for sharing expenses. The only people who answer are impoverished and uneducated Early Grayce (played by Brad Pitt) and his dimwitted girlfriend Adele Corners (played by Juliette Lewis). Early is for Brian and Carrie at first just an unpleasant travelling companion, but soon the dark and violent nature of his character emerges. Early is, actually, convicted criminal who is violating his parole and stops and nothing to preserve his freedom, which would include series of murder and, inadvertently, give plenty of material for Brian’s book by having serial killer in his car.
While both Kalifornia and Natural Born Killers deal with serial killers and the way this phenomenon became obsession within American popular culture (and also feature Juliette Lewis as major cast member), those two films are very different. The most obvious difference is in Kalifornia being significantly more pleasing to the eye, mostly thanks to Bojan Bazelli’s cinematography that have put various natural locations to good use, as well as Sena’s refusal to adhere to then fashionable MTV style of editing. The more important difference is, however, Sena’s actual views on the subject, at least judging by the way they are presented by the protagonist. Unlike Stone, whose film considered serial killers as nothing more than extreme and, in a perverse way, pure and “noble” expression of America’s ultra-violent and corrupt nature, Sena takes more nuanced approach. Brian begins as archetypal bleeding heart liberal who believes that serial killers aren’t ultimately responsible for their crimes and the way society tends to deal with them – capital punishment or life in prison – does more harm than good. However, like with the protagonist of Death Wish two decades earlier, such views doesn’t stand scrutiny provided by the reality check and Brian is forced not only to reconsider his views, but also take unimaginably brutal action in order to survive.
This approach is likely to have doomed the chances of Kalifornia among critics. Many of those who would have applauded art cinema style were turned off by what they considered a politically reactionary message and saw the film as nothing more than worthless piece of exploitation cinema. This was, however, very unfair to Sena who had obviously put a lot creative energy to his work. Same can be said, at least partially, about the cast. Brad Pitt, at that time young and, despite being proclaimed new male sex symbol over his brief but memorable role in Thelma & Louise, not properly established star, have risked a lot by playing character of Early, physically unattractive, annoying, dangerous and in the end despicable character. Pitt has invested a lot of his creative potentials in playing Early, and the result is one of the most impressive roles of his career. What makes his character so disturbing is that, unlike so many serial killer characters in 1990s Hollywood films, his villain looks quite banal and ordinary. Pitt was very helped by great performance of Juliette Lewis, his real-life romantic partner at the time, who managed to evoke sympathy for her, at first, pathetic character. Compared with Pitt and Lewis, David Duchovny (who would shortly afterwards find fame on small screen as Fox Mulder in The X-Files) is quite bland, but Michelle Forbes, one of the most underrated actresses of her generation (who would also have much more success on television than on big screen) works much better as the most normal character and voice of reason. Watching those good performances is reason why Kalifornia should be recommended despite its obscurity and initially bad reputation.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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