Asif Khan (asifahsankhan) "Early Grayce" in "Kalifornia" is actually the best Brad Pitt performance to date. To mention Tyler Dyrden is just to get more attention nothing more.Directed by then music video director Sena, KALIFORNIA not only features some of the most memorable lines around ("the amount of times Pitt says, "dips%it" is great), but has a cast that just sucks you right in. We've got our protagonists, Brian Kessler and Carrie Laughlin (A hypnotic pairing of X-FILES star David Duchovny and TRUE BLOOD's Michelle Forbes), a true crime writer and his photographer girlfriend looking to find out why serial killers do the things they do by planning a cross country trip across the United States in order to visit the scenes of said tragedies and turn them into a literary and visual coffee table book of carnage. That alone is worth checking the film out, but what elevates a gritty look at death and nature vs. nurture into a whole other atmosphere, is the film's antagonist, Early Grayce (a pare-LEGENDS OF THE FALL/INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE stardom era Brad Pitt) and his absent minded girlfriend Adele. Grayce is the opposite of Brian, while Kessler hangs with pretentious art-types and lives in an artists' loft, Early and Adele spend their days in a dirty trailer, dodging both their landlord and Grayce's parole officer. It's a very interesting juxtaposition to see, the four characters and two couples' differences couldn't be any more different from each other.When Brian asks, "How many people have you killed, Early? Early replies, "Well, now, how many people have you seen me kill? And when Brian utters, "None," the reply he gets from Early is, "That's how many I killed."The majority of the film happens out and about, as the essayist and picture taker progressively get to be distinctly mindful of the way of the general population who are sharing the ride. It is here that the film uncovers its significance. A lesser film would basically be a thriller in which the heroes would frantically plan to escape from the executioners in their auto. "Kalifornia" is substantially more unpretentious than that. It's about the interesting interest that a few people feel for the individuals who appear to be harder and that's only the tip of the iceberg "real." Usually the individuals who romanticise in that way have never needed to manage any individual who harms others only for the diversion esteem. The obsession with all things serial killer can be trailed back decades and decades from the fascination with the notorious Manson murders to even the Black Dahlia murder years before. It's a mystery deeply rooted in a lot of us wanderers. "Why do people kill and what enjoyment do they receive from it?" isn't a new question and it's a question and theme that has filled many movies throughout the years.Though I can be found drooling over the magnificence of David Fincher's ZODIAC or reading a barrage of James Ellroy or Jim Thompson novels to pass my dark curiosity, the 1993 Dominic Sena- helm-ed 'KALIFORNIA' is one piece of cinema that always fills that void of serial killer mystique, giving viewers a look at obsession with murder and an interesting answer to the question of "why do people kill?"Fear never travels alone.

Leofwine_draca This interesting serial killer tale offers us a fascinating glimpse into the mind of such a killer, but unfortunately destroys impact by relying too much on clichés and the conventions of film-making. However as one of its type it's not half bad, with plenty of murders and mayhem to keep one's mind off the occasionally over the top piece of acting. The film is essentially a modern day variant of Bonnie and Clyde, with the four stars travelling across America and Pitt dispatching anyone and everyone who crosses him in any way. At least this is an excuse for some nice scenery, as it's a road movie there are plenty of shots of winding roads, deserts, and blowing tumbleweeds.The acting is generally good in this film, with Pitt giving perhaps the best performance of his career (at least I prefer his performance in this to the ones in SEVEN and TWELVE MONKEYS). He's an out and out maniac, and yet nice and friendly too - he just kills people occasionally. Unfortunately at the end of the film Pitt goes way over the top into sheer mania, screaming, shouting, and killing everybody in his wake. Juliette Lewis gives the best performance of the film as his simple-minded love interest, who doesn't fully realise that he's a murderer (or doesn't want to realise); Lewis has the child-like mentality down to a tee. David Duchovny is the hero of the film, in a role which seems surprisingly similar to his Mulder in THE X-FILES. He even gets to walk around old warehouses with a torch. Michelle Forbes isn't bad as Duchovny's lover.There are lots of horrible deaths in this film, the worst being the first shown, where an old man is brutally murdered in a toilet. The film makes us care about the people being killed, shown best in a gas station sequence where a young assistant is shotgunned to death. It doesn't show Pitt in a bad light though - instead, it simply portrays his actions and lets us make up our minds about him. There are also some interesting things said about why serial killers do what they do, as Duchovny researches for his new book. All in all, KALIFORNIA is perhaps not the best of its type but it's a good attempt anyway.

ComedyFan2010 It is a thriller about a psychology grad who goes with his girlfriend on a trip to write a book about serial killers and is accompanied by a couple that actually includes a serial killer.I am actually pretty surprised the movie bombed at the box office. It is one of the more intelligent thrillers on the topic and also keeps a very terrifying atmosphere.The acting in the movie is also first class. Brad Pitt is doing one of his strongest performances. And very successfully, I was just grossed out looking at Early, I never saw a Brad Pitt in there. Juliette Lewis also does a great performance as this sweet but incredibly dumb white trash girl. Michelle Forbes and David Duchovny don't get as much praise for their work in Kalifornia, which is not very fair. They simply have characters that are not normal people and not having mental issues, and they did it great. The four characters bring a good balance.The idea is pretty interesting. It is comparing the fascination about murder with the reality of it. It looks into the idea what drives us into doing it. What is the difference between them and us. Some republicans seem to think it is about a liberal who "learned a lesson", but it is not, it is simply about complexity of the situation and humans.Again, too bad it bombed, Dominic Sena would probably be able to create more of these movies. I was very well done and always kept one worried. Great filmed scenes and scenery that all contributed to it.

ForVirg Kalifornia would be just an OK movie, were it not for the performance of pretty-boy Brad Pitt. In this film, he is anything BUT pretty. In fact, he's so convincingly creepy, it makes my skin crawl just to think about this role.Whether or not he took on the role to battle type-casting is unimportant, because he does, in fact, show his acting chops amazingly well as the poor white trash monster. It's rare to see any actor take on the persona of a character so convincingly.The idea of this film is a good one, and executed fairly well, but could have been done better.In particular, Michelle Forbes character, Carrie, is extremely grating. Hers is a character who will fit into L.A. culture very well--bitchy, superior, and judgmental. I know I should sympathize with Carrie's correct assessment of the situation, but I just hate her too much to care. Of course, I could argue that without her bitchy superiority, there wouldn't be a story. On the other hand, Juliette Lewis' character, Adele, is charmingly endearing, and I found myself wishing for Adele and Duchovny's Brian to wind up together. Were it not for the cast, this movie would be unremarkable. But with the performance of the cast, I find myself watching it again and again over the years since its release. That must count for something!