King of California
Best movie I've seen in a looooooooong time. I just spent my last post railing against Gilliam's worst film to date. Well,
King of California reminded me a lot of one of his classics,
The Fisher King.
King of California follows the storyline of teen Miranda (played by Evan Rachel Wood, who is becoming one of my absolute favorite up-and-coming actresses) whose schizophrenic dad (played by an artful and almost unrecognizable Michael Douglas) enters her life again, convinced that Spanish gold is buried under California. The two of them embark on a journey in search for this gold and the question becomes (must like
Fisher King), what is real and what is in her father's mind.
King of California is whimsical, inventive, and absolutely charming. Michael Douglas as the schizophrenic father is frenetic, obsessive, and right on point in this role (surprising to me as I don't necessarily look at him as a skilled thespian). Great story, fantastic writing, brilliant acting, and gorgeous direction. Definitely touchy/feely, but a great little film. LOVED it.
5/5