DVD Monthly

Californication – Season 1

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
(3 votes, average: 9.33 out of 10)
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You can’t always get what you want…

The Lowdown: Sexually promiscuous bachelor Hank Moody is a best-selling author whose predilection for beautiful women threatens to derail his waning talent. With a teenage daughter, an ex-girlfriend and a bad case of writer’s block all vying for his attention, can Hank resist LA’s many temptations and emerge with his talent intact?

Review: After starring in the wildly successful ‘X-Files’ a decade ago, David Duchovny returns to the medium that made him a star with Californication, a dark comedy with a sexy edge. In the ensuing years, noteworthy film roles have been few and far between for the underrated Duchovny, so it is a genuine pleasure to see him bounce back with something as wickedly enjoyable as Californication.

Duchovny’s character, Hank Moody, coasts through life, hopping from one bed to the next as his talent slowly drains away. When he inadvertently sleeps with the 16-year-old daughter of his ex-girlfriend’s new partner, Hank’s delicate existence goes into tailspin. There may be an endless queue of nubile young things desperate to get Hank in the sack, but nothing can temper the realisation that he is still desperately in love with Karen, the mother of his precocious teenage daughter, Becca. Whether she will let herself fall for his dishevelled charms once more, however, is more difficult to say…

Hank’s cult bestseller, ‘God Hates Us All’, has been hoovered up by the Hollywood machine and turned into a “Tom and Katie” rom-com called ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’. This touch is an effortless skewering of Hollywood’s mind-numbing preoccupation with ‘dumbing things down’ and duly leads to Hank’s crippling writer’s block. He self-medicates with copious amounts of booze and sex, but it’s clear from the outset where his real affections lie.

The self-serving idea that all soulful New York artists sell themselves short by cashing in on their talent and moving to La La Land feels slightly forced at times, but it all makes for good comedy. The deadpan way in which Duchovny conducts himself is very entertaining, and despite Hank’s manifold flaws you can’t help but warm to his sullen character. The cast as a whole rarely hits a bum note, and Natascha McElhone (who stars as Hank’s combative ex-girlfriend Karen) is particularly impressive. Ex-‘Sex In The City’ star Evan Handler (as Hank’s long-suffering agent Charlie) plays the straight man to Hank’s droll funnyman, teeing him up nicely on many occasions. Last but not least, Madeleine Martin (Karen and Hank’s feisty, wise-beyond-her-years daughter Becca) also look set for a bright future.

‘Californication’ creator Tom Kapinos used to write for ‘Dawson’s Creek’, but you shouldn’t let that put you off checking out this offbeat, corrosive little drama. Californication is full to the brim with caustic wit, unrepentant sexuality and a nihilistic disregard for the moral majority. The 12 half-hour episodes, spread across two discs are easy to digest as individual portions or collectively, and offer a welcome bite-sized break from the longer dramas that are so prevalent right now. That said, the special features are pretty weak, with just a three-way audio commentary on the opening episode, and a brisk batch of interviews with the likes of Duchovny, Kapinos, McElhone, Madeline Zima and Evan Handler.

FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 4

DVD Info:
Certificate: 18
Starring: David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Madeleine Martin, Madeline Zima
Directed By: Various, 2007
Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 647mins
Price:  £34.99

Special Features:
Episode Selection
Audio Commentary On Episode ‘Pilot’ With David Duchovny, Writer/Creator Tom Kapinos & Director Stephen Hopkins.
Interviews With Cast & Crew