Search - King of California [HD DVD] on HD DVD

Head Of Lettuce Pray For The State Of Mind, California

El Lagarto | Sandown, NH | 04/04/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"(First of all, full disclosure. I wanted to like this movie because the subject matter is close to my heart. I am Manic Depressive; indeed I even wrote a memoir about it, Invisible Driving, which is available right here on Amazon. And I have a daughter who struggled to deal with the havoc my manic episodes caused. So it's possible I'm being unduly critical simply because I expected more.)

Nice to see Michael Douglas playing a character that makes less than $1,000,000 a year. His performance is actually very good, although he never plays more than one note throughout the entire movie. He certainly looks deranged, and has learned how to convincingly show the whites of his eyes. With nasty beard and ridiculous clothes he has that, "I sleep in a culvert" look down pat.

Evan Rachel Wood is stellar as his daughter Miranda, a girl who has had to become an adult too quickly. Abandoned by mother, virtually abandoned by her father, Miranda has brilliantly learned how to work the system and hang onto the house while her dad cools his heels in the cracker factory. It's an interesting dynamic, the inappropriately mature teenager and the mentally ill, irresponsible parent, but the film never delivers on its potential.

The failure of King of California is due entirely to writer and first time director Mike Cahill who seems completely lost at all times. He doesn't know if he wants to be serious about mental illness or portray it as cute and quirky - he flips between showing Miranda walking in on a botched suicide attempt - dark - and dad yucking it up with power tools in Cosco - zany! More ludicrous still is the rather magical transformation of Miranda from rightfully bitter and angry to cheerfully sharing daddy's idiotic quest. Cahill is so adrift in his tiny tale that even he does not know if there is any gold at the end of Charlie's rainbow.

There isn't, literal or metaphorical."

Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood work well together

Cubist | United States | 02/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hoping to replicate the overwhelming positive critical response he received for his performance in Wonder Boys, Michael Douglas plays another quirky outsider in King of California. Despite being produced by Alexander Payne (Sideways (Widescreen Edition)), the film enjoyed a brief theatrical run and finally makes its debut on DVD.

Michael Douglas is excellent as the wildly eccentric Charlie. There is a mischievous glint in his eyes when he feels like he is getting closer to the treasure. The older Douglas gets and the more films he does, the more comfortable an actor he becomes. He delivers a nuanced performance that never veers off into showy scenery-chewing territory. With his mountain man beard, Douglas certainly looks the part of an ex-mental patient and, at times, seems to be channeling Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition).

Evan Rachel Wood plays Charlie's extremely patient daughter and narrator of this unusual tale and so, naturally, our sympathies lie with her because she's, y'know, the sane voice of reason. Miranda is the responsible one to Charlie's childish antics. Wood is the ideal foil to Douglas, the straight man to his kooky eccentric.

King of California belongs to Douglas and the film sinks of swims based on how well he sells his character's mad quest - kind of like Robin Williams' traumatized bum in The Fisher King. And while Mike Cahill is no Terry Gilliam, Douglas is more than up for taking on this wild ride with the charisma to draw us in, much like Charlie convinces Miranda to follow him.

There is an audio commentary by writer/director Mike Cahill, cinematographer Jim Whitaker, production designer Dan Bishop and first assistant director Richard L. Fox. Cahill talks about how a lack of money forced him to rewrite the opening scene and improve on it. Everyone takes turns pointing out the various locations used in the film which is as boring as it sounds. They also point out dry technical details like the wonders of colour timing. It's amazing that this commentary can be so dull with all of these skilled artists at hand but unfortunately this is the case.

"The Making of The King of California" your standard electronic press kit with soundbites from the cast and crew mixed with clips from the film. Douglas claims that this was one of the best scripts he has ever read and compares his character to Don Quixote. Cast and crew talk about the film's two main characters and gush about the film in general.

"Outtakes" is a fairly amusing collection of blown lines, miscues and goofs.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer."