California Dreamin' (Nesfarsit) (2007)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Cristian Nemescu

Writers:

Catherine Linstrum (writer)
Cristian Nemescu (writer)

Release Date:

23 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

A railway chief delays a NATO train transporting military equipment during the war in Kosovo in 1999. |

Plot Keywords:

Train | Kosovo | Yugoslav | Kosovo War | American Dream

Awards:

9 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Armand Assante	...	Cpt. Doug Jones
Jamie Elman	...	Sg. David McLaren
Razvan Vasilescu	...	Doiaru
Maria Dinulescu	...	Monica
Alexandru Margineanu	...	Andrei (as Alex Margineanu)
Ion Sapdaru	...	The Mayor
Alexandru Dragoi	...	Rodriguez
Andi Vasluianu	...	Soldier Marian (as Andrei Vasluianu)
Sabina Branduse	...	Despina
Gabriel Spahiu	...	Trade Union Chief
Radu Gabriel	...	Stelica
Constantin Dita	...	Paul
Eduard Dumitru	...	Mitroi
Alexandru Georgescu	...	Corporal Tanase
Cristi Olesher	...	Young Doiaru

Also Known As:

California Dreamin' (UK) (USA)
California Dreamin' (Nesfarsit) (Europe: English title) (festival title)
Nesfarsit (Romania)

Runtime:

155 min

Country:

Romania

Language:

English | Romanian | Spanish | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Media Pro Pictures

Soundtrack:

Blue Suede Shoes

A certain masterpiece

All of us, when tired, look for an easy and full of fun or action movie in a Hollywood style. However, once in a while, sooner rather than later, is not bad watching a movie that makes us use a little our brain in conjunction with our emotions. California Dreamin' is such a movie. First of all, you must take into account that this movie was not post-processed almost at all due to the tragically death of its director. It is useless to think how it would have been looked if it was finished by Nemescu. We have to look at it as it is. Even like this, movie was brilliantly directed making me remember of Antonioni's Blow-Out. Lots of people would not like it because it shows too much poverty or does not show all aspects of Balkan's life or just because is not a Hollywood movie. Let's be straight, no movie gives you a panorama about a region's life, for this you should watch News or read magazines. Movies give you a vision built by a group of people starting with the screenwriter and ending with its director. You may agree with it or not but this is not important. Important is if after a while it makes you think and if it does the movie was not useless. Others didn't like the movie being ambiguous but they forget that this is an art movie which is not giving you solutions, but based on presented facts you have to find the answers by yourself and no wonder if each person will find different conclusions because after all we are different from each other. Or this is the greatest merit of this movie: makes you think about a lot of things among which why life is so hard when can be easier. Obviously this movie was a hard option for Nemescu but eventually because of this option it is his postmortem triumph. In the end, this movie is not an image of Balkans but an image which can be applied to 80% of this world. The feelings and emotions included in it can be applied to 100% of this world. It is tragic Nemescu died after his first movie, but it is fortunate he left as legacy such a movie rather than a regular "big hit".