Rating: 
Summary: A chilling cinematic experience...
Review: Brian Kessler (David Duchovny) has received an offer to write a book about serial killers, but struggles with the difficulty of actually writing the book. His girlfriend and photographer Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes) mentions to him that she wants to take off for California and with this idea Brian decides that they will drive to California and stop at sites where serial killers once murdered their victims. In order to make the road trip more affordable they post a note that they want someone to share the expenses with and as a result ex-con Early (Brad Pitt) and juvenile Adele (Juliette Lewis) end up with them on the road trip. The certain danger that is looming ahead seems predictable, however, in this story it serves as a tool for driving the suspense toward ultimate climax. In turn, this leaves the audience with a chilling, yet terrific, cinematic experience.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Buddy/Killer/Road Movie That Slipped By Everyone.
Review: A quite and forgotten road trip killer movie.
A writer of serial killers, Brian(David Duchovny), and his photogapher wife, Carrie(Michelle Forbes), set off on a trip across country to California in hopes of living a better life, stopping along the way to various murder spots to record and photograph for Brian's book. The only problem is they need to split gas costs for the ride so they opt to pick up Early Grayce(Brad Pitt) and his girlfreind Adele(Juliette Lewis) who just need to "get away".As the more miles are put behind them, the more Early's violent nature emerges. A great movie that sets up the actors in a quick and ruthless downfall. The acting is great all around but the real star of this picture is none other than Brad Pitt, playing the extremly dirty, gruffy, redneck, gressy killer (that's right ladies, he's far from hot in this movie)....Early. Pitt plays Early to an erie effect showing how fast he can turn without any remorse. Another great standout is, Juliette Lewis playing Early's wife Adele. She is a grown child, loving and careing but all the while, confused and disamayed in her love for Early. A great part for this underrated actress. The movie runs along at a fast pace and just clocks in under two hours. What makes this movie so easy to watch, other than the actors, is the simple but great directing by Dominic Sena. His direction of each sense is crisp and clean, and makes use of colorful backdrops for each location. This not enough praise I can give this movie. From great dirction, a flawless preformnce from everyone, to a heartstopping climaxe.....makes for one hell of a good movie. The only dissapointment is the inclussion of very little in the unrated version of the movie. It shows more of a murdeer(always a plus) and more sex (another pluse) but it failed to contrubute anything to the movie or improve on it other wise.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Suspense
Review: Brad Pitt, David Duchovny and Juliette Lewis star in this excellent road movie/thriller/drama about four very different people who are on the road and have to deal with their antagonisms along the way. Dominic Sena knows how to build a tense and dark atmosphere here, providing some terrific direction and original camera-angles to increase the growing suspense. Brad Pitt shines as the primitive, feral killer, delivering one of the best performances of his career in a role that`s nothing like the ones he usually makes (it also proves that he can act, creating a strong, believable and intriguing character). Duchovny is also great as his smooth, smart and calm "friend", providing a subtle and interesting performance as well. Juliette Lewis and Michelle Forbes are adequate and convincing enough as the duo`s girlfriends. Although the plot is somewhat familiar, it flows in an unique way and the character development is surprising and very well-handled. "Kalifornia" is an underrated and offbeat movie that deserves its cult status and is one of the best "sleepers" of the nineties.
An enticing cinematic experience.
Rating:
Summary: Not all road trips are a good idea....
Review: ...but watching this movie IS a good idea. I initially rented it for the pure Duchovny factor, but found many other reasons to enjoy it. Brad Pitt gives an incredible performance as Early Grayce, a trailer-home dwelling murderer. I usually don't care for Pitt, but he is flawless in this role. His live-in girlfriend is played by Juliette Lewis, in possibly her most convincing and charming-us-through-pity role ever. And of course, can't forget Mr. Duchovny. While he wasn't the focus of this flick as he is in so many of his others, his performance was excellent. Ever the calm and cool Mulder-esque character, he seems to be the last one 'in the know' about Grayce's real history and activities--both since youth AND on this road trip. His personal experiences with Grayce early-on in the movie impair Kessler's (Duchovny's) ability to see Grayce for what he really is. I thought this movie was very good--and I'll never take road-trips with strangers OR use a gas station bathroom again. :)
Rating:
Summary: For Those Who Doubt Brad Pitt Can Act
Review: If you come upon this movie after seeing Brad Pitt play one gorgeous leading man character after another and you think he wouldn't have had a chance in Hollywood without his looks, this movie will change your mind. In fact, I wonder whether his great looks have kept him from getting the deep, dark roles he is well capable of playing. Pitt plays a low-life, red-neck, serial killer who is presently living with Juliette Lewis in his hovel of a trailer. He includes the trailer park owner in his long list of victims and then pulls up stakes to leave for California. His way of getting there, with Lewis in tow, is to share travel expenses with two yuppies, a couple, driving there. At this point, the movie adds black comedy and satire to its orginal mix, which lifts it quite a bit above the standard serial killer plotline we've grown accustomed to seeing. David Duchovny is the male yuppie driver and he is a liberal writer who wants to write a book about serial killers. He even has stops along the journey at different crime scenes of various serial killers. The supreme irony is that he doesn't realize he has a serial killer in the back seat of his car while he pontificates endlessly about his book in progress. I know this actor is a big tv star now and one can see by watching this film why one actor became big in tv and the other big in film. Pitt simply eclipses everyone in the movie as far as acting talent with only Juliette Lewis coming close to him in total impact. If you are looking for the typical sexy Brad Pitt movie, this isn't it. If you are looking for Brad Pitt, the actor, this is the movie to see.
Rating:
Summary: American Gothic
Review: Kalifornia I would like to give this "diamond in the rough" the justice it deserves. At first glance the box will most likely give you the impression of a "straight to video", cheap thriller. Dominic Sena captures an atmospheric, muted, dream-like tone in this captivating cross-country road trip. His vision is both ethereal in its wistful narration and brutally realistic in violent encounters. Never once is the violence exploitative or voyeuristic, always restrained and curious...it is as if we are to decide if we empathize or condemn on our own with Sena's stark unbiased depiction.
Duchovny hits the mark. Very similar to his X-Files role, he is convincingly erudite, fallible, and morally just. Juliette Lewis, who often can be annoying and trashy, is perfectly cast as victimized naïf. Her child-like, quixotic character is fascinating and without exaggeration.
Brad Pitt is the foundation of this immense masterpiece. Tour-de-force performances such as this one are the only time that movies can ever rival their literary equivalents. There is no script that could have mapped out the haunting, complex characterization or the subtle eccentricities of Early Grace. As menacing as he is strangely seductive, Brad Pitt seems to live and breath his inscrutable vicious on-screen persona.
If you are looking for proof that Brad Pitt is more than just a "pretty face", Kalifornia will shove it down your throat. Pick this movie up; it is an underrated and perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Effective Psychological Thriller.
Review: For those who love psychological thrillers in the tradition of Seven, Natural Born Killers and Frailty, this film is a great find.
Brian(David Duchovny) is an author preoccupied with serial killers. As research for his latest book, he decides to embark with his girlfriend Carrie, on a cross country trip to visit the sites of some of America's most notorious murder sites. To defray the expenses of the trip, Brian recruits Early Grace(Brad Pitt) and his dimwitted girlfriend Adele(Juliette Lewis) to journey with him. As the trip progresses, Early's increasingly violent nature and past reveals itself and culminates in a terrifying murder spree.
The greatest thing about this film is the wonderful cast who turn in completely believable and harrowing performances. Pitt in particular is cast in a totally atypical role and comes shinning through creating a complex and interesting character in the maniacal Early Grace. Michelle Forbes is excellent too as Duchovny's suspicious girlfriend Carrie, adding copious amounts of sexual tension to the film with her imposing presence. Lewis turns in her usual performance, eternally typecast as the idiotic, victimized, easily manipulated female (for more on this refer to Cape Fear and Cold Creek Manor). This is actually one of her better performances as she elicits a considerable amount of pity and sympathy.
The film is beautifully shot and very well paced, with nicely developed characters. Like similar films like Seven and Natural Born Killers, it is also quite violent but miles above intellectually the usual serial killer/slasher fare that Hollywood churns out.
The DVD presentation is good too, even though the video quality is lacking in some areas with a fair amount of grain and white speckle lines visible in the darker scenes. The R rated and uncut versions are included but the differences are negligible as both versions run 115 Mins. The option for widescreen or full frame presentation is also included.
The DVD also includes a making of...featurette and the theatrical trailer.
In conclusion, this is a chilling, remarkable piece of film making that belongs in every DVD collection. The minor video flaws on this DVD are more than compensated for by the low retail price. It would be nice to see a more comprehensive collector's edition of this DVD available someday.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty boys (Brad Pitt and David Duchovny) show they can act
Review: When this movie opened back in 1992, I skipped it (too graphic! too bloody!). When it came out on video, I skipped it (Brad Pitt, David Duchovny -- pretty boys who think they can act, forget it!). Then, one rainy evening when everything else had been rented out at the video store, I finally sat down and watched this movie. What a surprise. These guys can act. Especially Brad Pitt. Playing completely against type, he shows that there really is a brain and talent underneath all of that "Interview with a Vampire" hair. With Juliette Lewis and Michelle Forbes giving great supporting roles, this movie actually kept me guessing about the ending (not an easily accomplished goal). A good addition to any collection of those who like suspense movies.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, Brad Pitt Can Act
Review: For those who doubt that Brad Pitt can act, consider this: he is one of the four main characters in this film, and it took me half the movie to figure out who he was. What particularly amazed me was the way the movie manages to convey the full extent of Early's psychotic nature, but at the same time enticing you almost to warm to him. The "older brother/younger brother" relationship that develops between the two men, and the "girl friend" relationship that develops between the women, create a fine balance with and path towards the final conflict. The consequences of meddling in other people's relationships are also subtly and disturbingly illustrated. Duchovny and Forbes are adequate placeholders, but Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis excel. Pitt is terrifyingly convincing as the swaggering psychopath with an earthy charm. Lewis's childlike character has been justly praised in other reviews. This is certainly a movie that defies genres - for all the violence (which is much less than you'd expect) it has a dark and subtle charm to it.
Rating:
Summary: American Gothic
Review: Kalifornia I would like to give this "diamond in the rough" the justice it deserves. At first glance the box will most likely give you the impression of a "straight to video", cheap thriller. Dominic Sena captures an atmospheric, muted, dream-like tone in this captivating cross-country road trip. His vision is both ethereal in its wistful narration and brutally realistic in violent encounters. Never once is the violence exploitative or voyeuristic, always restrained and curious...it is as if we are to decide if we empathize or condemn on our own with Sena's stark unbiased depiction.
Duchovny hits the mark. Very similar to his X-Files role, he is convincingly erudite, fallible, and morally just. Juliette Lewis, who often can be annoying and trashy, is perfectly cast as victimized naïf. Her child-like, quixotic character is fascinating and without exaggeration.
Brad Pitt is the foundation of this immense masterpiece. Tour-de-force performances such as this one are the only time that movies can ever rival their literary equivalents. There is no script that could have mapped out the haunting, complex characterization or the subtle eccentricities of Early Grace. As menacing as he is strangely seductive, Brad Pitt seems to live and breath his inscrutable vicious on-screen persona.
If you are looking for proof that Brad Pitt is more than just a "pretty face", Kalifornia will shove it down your throat. Pick this movie up; it is an underrated and perfect.
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