California Split is a nice, breezy comedy/drama by Robert Altman. It feels like one of the more light-hearted films he made, but I guess isn't just laughs as it tells the story of two guys who essentially just gamble on various things for the entire runtime, and continually chase a high (and risking a lot in the process) that may never come.
Altman's not always concerned with telling a strict story, and that's certainly the case here. It's pretty loose throughout, and though there are stakes, it also feels pretty relaxed, all things considered. It's the kind of movie that would live or die based on the performances and the chemistry between the stars, and thankfully, the two leads really deliver. Elliott Gould and George Segal are both great together, and the friendship they form near the start of the film is very believable (that opening half-hour or so was probably the film at its peak).
My attention waned a little in the second half, which can happen when I watch a film by Robert Altman. But it was still engaging more often than not, I liked the performances, and it's nicely put together and has a good atmosphere. There's also a very short appearance by a very young Jeff Goldblum, which caught me off guard and was pretty surreal/funny (I remember him showing up randomly in various scenes in Altman's Nashville, too. It's crazy to think he's been in movies for about 50 years now - maybe more, if California Split wasn't his first appearance).
Altman's not always concerned with telling a strict story, and that's certainly the case here. It's pretty loose throughout, and though there are stakes, it also feels pretty relaxed, all things considered. It's the kind of movie that would live or die based on the performances and the chemistry between the stars, and thankfully, the two leads really deliver. Elliott Gould and George Segal are both great together, and the friendship they form near the start of the film is very believable (that opening half-hour or so was probably the film at its peak).
My attention waned a little in the second half, which can happen when I watch a film by Robert Altman. But it was still engaging more often than not, I liked the performances, and it's nicely put together and has a good atmosphere. There's also a very short appearance by a very young Jeff Goldblum, which caught me off guard and was pretty surreal/funny (I remember him showing up randomly in various scenes in Altman's Nashville, too. It's crazy to think he's been in movies for about 50 years now - maybe more, if California Split wasn't his first appearance).