California Dreamin' (Endless) (Cristian Nemescu,
2007)
Cristian Nemescu was posthumously awarded the top prize in
Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section for
California Dreamin’ (Endless), his first
and only feature. Alongside Cristian Mungiu’s Palm D’Or win at this year’s
festival, it represented the crest of what’s being referred to as the Romanian
New Wave. Over the last few years, the country’s output has captured the
attention of festivalgoers, who have declared it a hotspot of world cinema. That
being said, it’s unlikely that many will find California Dreamin’ (Endless) to be the most
impressive movie to come from Romania over the last few years.
It’s a strong film, but it happens to be in stronger company.
Set in 1999, the movie follows what’s euphemistically referred
to as a U.S. Peacekeeping mission. As a small group of American soldiers are
forced to stop at a tiny town’s train station, the film begins introducing a
barrage of characters. A lot of balls are kept in the air here, as the audience
meets the American troops, the rascally station agent, his daughter (who hopes
to run away with the troops), her schoolmates, the conniving mayor, and a group
of protesting gypsies. The townsfolk devise a plan to restage their centennial
in order to lure American investment to the country, then later try to use the U.S. military might to stir an
uprising. The finale brings all of these groups together, and the cross-cutting
between the different characters becomes less problematic as the film picks up
speed. For a while, though, the plot is difficult to get into because of how
busy it is.
California Dreamin’ (Endless)’s
creator died before the editing of the feature was completed, and it shows,
especially during the first hour. Sloppy and perfunctory, the expository scenes
feel hopelessly overextended for what seems to be a simpleminded and overly
cynical look at buffoonish characters. Boorish American troops are contrasted
against hopelessly naïve Romanian villagers, who try to entertain and swindle
them as they are held captive by a bureaucratic snafu. Thankfully, the remaining
90 minutes puncture that setup, shifting these character dynamics in unexpected
ways. Eventually each of the characterizations deepens, finding a happy medium
between comic and realistic extremes. The film also gradually takes on a
satirical, but grounded, vibe, acquiring more sting than one would initially
expect. When it’s all said and done, it’s obvious that the complicated plot has
been working overtime to set up a tragic conclusion, which is surprisingly
effective in tying up all of the storylines.
Nemescu’s film is strong enough that it can be considered
genuinely unfortunate that his career has been cut so short. He creates some
fine visual moments, here, despite a general predilection for realism.
California Dreamin’ (Endless) ultimately
reveals itself as a surprisingly ambitious debut. Although it starts out taking
cheap shots at its characters, it cannot be accused of this by the end of its
runtime. By the time the caustic ending unfolds, Nemescu has presented both a
world-weary outlook toward the country’s complicated past and an almost
startling role-reversal in which the Americans, and not the Romanians, are
revealed to be the naïve ones. There’s no doubt that
California
Dreamin’ (Endless) could do with some editing (indeed, the parenthetical in
the title refers to its unshaped state), but there’s just as little doubt that
Nemescu’s work is pretty worthy as is. When a foreign film this accomplished
strikes you as somewhat second rate, you can definitely take it as a sign of a
healthy national cinema.
58
Jeremy Heilman
08.27.07
