Kalifornia
Included Both the R-Rated (115 mins) and Unrated (118 mins) Versions
Excitement, adventure...and unimaginable terror await on the road to Kalifornia. "Brad Pitt is outstanding" (Rolling Stone) and "Juliette Lewis is utterly, heartbreakingly convincing" (Boxoffice) in this chilling psychological thriller co-starring David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes.
When urban intellectuals Brian (Duchovny) and Carrie (Forbes) set out on a cross-country trip to research a book about serial killers, they share the ride with a couple they barely know -- Early Grayce (Pitt) and his girlfriend Adele (Lewis). Locked in a car hurtling westward, the four travelers struggle to find some common ground. But when they finally do connect, Early's violent nature abruptly emerges, and the terrified Brian and Carrie realize that they don't need to go very far to learn about ruthless killers...because they're already face to face with one!
Member Reviews
Decent Acting, But Lacking - TheDandyist
I didn't really believe Brad Pitt could be convincing as the repulsive low life serial killer Early. I also didn't believe Juliette Lewis could create a sympathetic character out of his apparently developmentally disabled girlfriend Adele. Yet both Pitt and Lewis stunned me with their realistic portrayals. Unfortunately the film is not credible because it does not seem plausible that grad student/writer/aspiring serial killer expert Brian (played by David Duchovney) and his tough girlfriend who takes "not ready for the Bible Belt" photographs would be either desperate or stupid enough to agree to drive Pitt and Lewis's very seedy looking characters in their car several thousand miles to the promised land of California just for some help with the gas money. This cross country trip is made even longer by several planned stops to infamous murder sites Brian and Carrie need to make for research for a book they are planning and that plot point does nothing to enhance the believability of this film. Although the film does evoke a nightmarish feel as it progresses and Pitt and Lewis's performances are very good the movie does not really rise above the level of mediocre thriller. And as one would expect in a road movie with a serial killer there is a lot of graphic violence and other images that do not make this a good choice for the squeamish.Disturbing! Maybe more so for women..... - Sonic
This film will stir up alot of disturbing feelings.....prehaps more so for women. The disturbing factor is all about the character played by Brad Pitt, and the crazy serial killer low-life facial expressions he does so well. There is a certain sex scene where he looks like the most disgusting lecherous white trash deviant. Brad Pitt offers up a 5 star performance in this film, and it's nice to see that in one of his earliest performances he is already showcasing what a phenomenal acting ability he has. Juliette plays the role that she does so well: naive, impressionable, stupid young girl with the high voice and the brain that doesn't really connect properly. I'm not going to applaud her for re-playing the same character which is the only character she is capable of playing......but I'll state it differently: the role was written for her, and she is exactly what the script called for. No other actress could have done it better.
I would have to agree with other reviewers comments:
-Brad and Juliette steal the show.
-David Duchovny is, of course, completely forgettable and an unremarkable actor that should have stayed on TV.
-The story line is also quite predictable, while also being somewhat silly at the end- I won't ruin the ending for those of you who haven't seen it, but it is so unnecessary that they felt that had to tie the story off like that, and I think it cheapens the rest of the movie
But, the character playing by Brad and Juliette distract from all the shortcomings of the movie and leave you feeling quite stirred up. I always think that if you are still feeling stirred up by a movie the next day, it qualifies as a good movie.4 Stars for Brad and Juliette... - cathyottawa
... 3 stars for the movie itself.
It's a really contrived plot - I'm researching serial killers, and the guy I'm giving a lift to is, *gasp*, a serial killer!
And David Duchovny - He's got that Keanu Reeves thing, where his style never changes no matter what the role. It suited his character in X files, but anything beyond that, I tend to find him unconvincing.
The reason to rent this movie is for Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. Brad Pitt is so successful at downplaying his good looks here, you'll find him repulsive. He plays a bully of a red-neck, white trash character, and just eats and breaths the role. So well done.
Juliette plays the kind of character we've seen her do before - sweet, innocent, dopey white trash victim, to great effect. It's a heartbreaking performance.
Point of interest - Brad & Juliette did a TV movie together early in their careers called "Too Young To Die?", in which they play somewhat similar characters. It's availiable to Zip if you're interested. Cheers.
Member Reviews
Read All...
Decent Acting, But Lacking - TheDandyist
I didn't really believe Brad Pitt could be convincing as the repulsive low life serial killer Early. I also didn't believe Juliette Lewis could create a sympathetic character out of his apparently developmentally disabled girlfriend Adele. Yet both Pitt and ...Disturbing! Maybe more so for women..... - Sonic
This film will stir up alot of disturbing feelings.....prehaps more so for women. The disturbing factor is all about the character played by Brad Pitt, and the crazy serial killer low-life facial expressions he does so well. There is a certain sex scene where ...4 Stars for Brad and Juliette... - cathyottawa
... 3 stars for the movie itself.
It's a really contrived plot - I'm researching serial killers, and the guy I'm giving a lift to is, *gasp*, a serial killer!
And David Duchovny - He's got that Keanu Reeves thing, where his style never changes ...