The film begins as a dark coming-of-age narrative centered around Ester and Alice. However, it convulses the plot with a surprise towards the end, slightly shifting the viewers’ focus and making the film struggle as it rows on two boats. Though it safely reaches shore, by that time, audience members’ attention has been stagnant for so long that it is quite a jolt. That may be the point, but it feels dry in places.
La California also tries to mark territory in the social commentary domain through the twins’ gaze. Ester and Alice grow throughout the plot. The two share a communist supporter mother whose career as a fellow comrade went down the drain after she gave birth. The story follows through those years, exploring neo-fascist beliefs in the background while focusing on Ester and Alice’s struggle with their daily lives.
“…eye-catching performances of Silvia Provvedi and Giulia Provvedi.”
There are mentions of citizens’ exile, references to the Berlin Wall, propaganda terrorism, and its visible impact on the village’s people. The idea is probably to draw a contrast between the adults and teens growing up in a near-halted suburb of a war-ridden nation and explore how changes in the surroundings impact each of them separately. And with the teens in the protagonist’s role, the filmmaker wishes to emphasize the significance of understanding, if not adapting to this change. However, the numerous subplots and conveyed themes become so convoluted that they don’t fit into the linear storyline. Though the message here is powerful, it straddles a rusty path.
La California works well because Bomoll’s intentions, though not perfectly visible on-screen, are well heard throughout her brilliant choreography of shots. Where the film doesn’t speak much in frames, Esposti’s narrations make up for it. And a rock-inspired soundtrack and music alleviate the viewing experience to a large extent. The still photography, the shots of landscapes, fade-ins, fade-outs, and the use of location and production design speak highly of the team’s talent. Bear in mind much of the plot and dive into the characters can’t be discussed in the text, for it will potentially ruin the whole experience. But, it should be watched if for nothing else than the eye-catching performances of Silvia Provvedi and Giulia Provvedi.
"…the use of location and production design speak highly of the team's talent."
