Review of California Dreamin' (2007) by Mario R — 05 Feb 2008

This film was posthumously awarded the prize of the Un Certain Regard section in Cannes 2007. Sadly and tragically, Cristian Nemescu died in a car accident before being able to complete the editing. Yet, despite certain lengths and moments to be polished, what we see is a diamond in the rough. This film deserves well to be part of the so-called Romanian New Wave of cinema, alongside last year's Palme d'Or at Cannes, by Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days) and others like The Death of Mr. Lazarescu or 12:08 East of Bucharest.

Set in 1999, the movie follows a small U.S. military group working for NATO and transporting military equipment to Kosovo during the war. The train is forced to stop at a small town's train station, only because the railway chief refuses to let it go without some administrative papers, evoking the remnants of Ceausescu's bureaucracy... The plot is brilliant and served by some excellent actors. While it shows the contrasts and dynamics created between the American soldiers and the villagers and among these within rural Romania, the film goes deeper in a subtle way, giving us a surrealist and satirical outlook on an hopeless post-communism Romania, thorn by corruption and poverty. And when one thinks there is nothing more to expect, the film takes an unexpected turn, ending tragically and bringing the different 'stories' together.

Nemescu's film is strong and dense, very cleverly unfolding its plot(s). It is really unfortunate that he will not be able to continue his career, after this ambitious and fresh start. A must.