David Duchovny is back! Just six episodes in and I'm hooked. When La Fredette mentioned Californication to me, she'd watched an episode or two and liked that flawed Hank (portrayed by David Duchovny) was a writer living in LA not doing a lot of writing. She said he was sleeping with women who weren't the typical 20 years younger than him, but more his age range. This isn't the case but it adds to some of the plots.
Hank is on the rebound and he gets a lot of play...LOTS. He can be utterly charming, then turn into a jackass, yet overall, he's extremely likeable. Even though he's playing grab-ass more than he seems to eat, he is in possession of a moral code and he is surprisingly true to it. The chemistry between him and his ex, Karen (Natascha McElhone) sizzles. They should be together but their friendship seems almost ideal now that they're separated. He has a lovely relationship with his tween daughter. Their time together makes me a little jealous for that kind of dad-daughter relationship. It never ventures into maudlin territory. Another boon is the supporting character of Hank's agent, Charlie (Evan Handler who played jolly Harry on Sex and the City). He starts out with the seemingly decent life, marriage and job. But, even he can't resist the allure of the LA lifestyle.
Could Californication become the Sex and the City of Showtime? I think so! The writing is clever, the situations are funny and not predictable and the characters are interesting, whether you like them or not. Go into Californication knowing little or nothing about it. Don't read any reviews, do not pass go. Get it at Netflix, Hollywood or Rain Video. Insert and press play. After six episodes, let me know if you concur or think I'm a creep.
Themes: LA life, adultery, sex, parent-child relationships, writer's block
Director and writer: various
Country: US
Genre: Dram-Com Series
Minutes: Each episode approximately 30 minutes
Scale: 5
No comments:
Post a Comment