DVD Review: Californication

Sophisticated and unique, this comedy centers on novelist Hank Moody (David Duchovny) who struggles to raise his 13-year-old daughter, while still carrying a torch for his ex-girlfriend. His obsession with truth-telling and self destructive behavior — drinks drugs and relationships — are both destroying and enriching to his career.

Review:
The dark Showtime series Californication is depressing and humorous as well as fresh and familiar for anyone who has loved someone that they couldn’t have. David Duchovny does an amazing job as the series lead, Hank Moody, a man who is clearly still chasing his true love, despite all the ladies he hooks up with in the mean time. Passing time and trying to suppress the pain of not being able to be a family with his daughter and her mother, he sees his life spinning madly out of control between his sex and drug additions.

One of the things I enjoyed most with this series was the way it was presented. I’m a huge fan of opening credits, a fleeting art of the past with many television shows, but not Californication, which I believe deserves props for a beautiful execution of an old school camera look. The style of the credits emulates the style of the series as well. My only other technical note was that I was actually quite surprised that the episodes were only 30 minutes in length. The show seems like it should be a full hour, and perhaps that’s something they will explore more in future seasons.

Season one wraps offering the viewer a little bit of hope, but with a series that so commonly enters Hank’s dream world, one has to wonder if the closing scene was a part of that world, or if fate has finally decided to cut Hank a break. Californication fans will have to wait until this fall to be sure. Though one can’t help but to speculate, if Hank’s world does magically heal its wounds, would there be a series left?

Review by Emma Loggins

Grade: A-
Official site: http://www.sho.com/site/californication/home.do
Buy on Amazon: Californication