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California Dreamin' (Nesfarsit)

California Dreamin' (Nesfarsit)

2007
Comedy, Drama
2h 35m
Winner of the prestigious Cannes award Un Certain Regard in 2007, Cristian Nemescus film is based on a true story: a NATO train transporting military equipment is stopped in the middle of nowhere by an overzealous chief of a Romanian train station. Set against the backdrop of the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the film explores with humor and gritty realism the impact that the arrival of the American soldiers led by Captain Jones has on the small village community. A cinematic tour de force not to be missed! (imdb)
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California Dreamin' (Nesfarsit)

2007
Comedy, Drama
2h 35m
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Avg Percentile 59.66% from 129 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(129)
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Rated 15 Aug 2012
72
61st
Great story, but it really needed to be shortened in the final cut. Had Nemescu not died before editing was finished I suspect it would have been, and I might be reviewing a classic right now. Still, the culture difference is portrayed with both comedy and dignity, which is an achievement, and certain commonly held beliefs are questioned. Firstly, It forces the audience to consider all of the individual tragedies that simply become a statistic of war, and secondly, are the good guys really that?
Rated 10 Apr 2008
80
58th
Solid film. Reminds a bit of Tanovic's No Man's Land, though centered on a different bit of ineptitude around the Bosnia-Serbia conflict. The director hadn't finished editing when he tragically died in a car accident, and it shows a bit. The film lingers in a few places where it should pick up the pace. Also, the tone overall feels a bit too comic for where it's headed. I suspect these issues would have been ironed out with a few scenes trimmed here and there.
Rated 15 Feb 2017
82
67th
Feels like a rough cut, which it probably is, which is a shame because there's a great 2 hour movie in there, but it's very flabby especially in the first half. There are some really standout moments, and the slices of humour are really good.
Rated 18 Jul 2012
70
82nd
Amusing.
Rated 17 Nov 2010
6
44th
Thought provoking Romanian film about the meeting of 2 very diverse cultures. It is a little unpolished, especially towards the end but Nemescu may have resolved this had he had the opportunity.
Rated 18 Jul 2016
62
31st
It has the material to be a great movie, but it is rushed, most probably due to the unfortunate death of the director, so it is very unbalanced. The irony of the situation was not strong enough to overcome the dire nature of it; so it cannot become a full-fledged comedy. On the other hand, it is too tongue-in-cheek to become a full-scale drama too. So it stays in a kind of genre limbo; being a decent but not great movie.
Rated 20 Apr 2018
86
56th
One can only wonder how this movie would have turned out if Nemescu hadn't tragically died, young, mowed down by a drunk driver, and had done the final cut himself. But you can still feel his strong perspective, his freshness and all the talent in this. It's a vibrant, funny, relevant movie.

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