California Split is a movie for those people who enjoy an afternoon of drinking. You know the kind of day, where you say to yourself, "Ah, I'll have a couple and then go to dinner." You have a beer at 2:00pm and before you know it, the clock says 4:00am. But that's okay because you've made eight new friends and you're the life of the bar. This movie is always hailed for its' honest depiction of gambling addiction. What no one ever mentions is how honest it is in showing what it's like to get drunk and just hang out with a friend. Elliot Gould and George Segal are at their finest as Charlie Waters and Bill Denny. They exemplify mid-'70's cool hitting bars and casinos with sarcastic wit and a ready for anything attitude. Director Robert Altman doesn't force these performances out of his actors. He leaves the pace of the movie on a laid back scale open for an improvisation. California Split does have a message about how empty this life style can be but it doesn't shake a finger at its' protagonists. Instead the movie takes us on a joyride with them, letting the viewer sit next to them at poker table, crack open a beer and try to call their bluff.
Sadly this movie is not available on DVD at this time.
Sadly this movie is not available on DVD at this time.