Subtle character study about the pursuit of happiness, about freedom and loss, and about the price of escapism. A forgotten gem from Altman's oeuvre.

In California Split, director Robert Altman dives deep into the world of gambling halls, racetracks and poker matches. The result is a film as loose as it is accurate, about two men who meet in a gambling hall and together embark on a heady journey through the underbelly of 1970s America.

Charlie (Elliott Gould) is a flamboyant, seasoned gambler; Bill (George Segal) is more of a searching soul. Their meeting culminates in a sultry friendship that revolves around excitement, money and escape from reality. Altman captures their dynamic in his signature style: overlapping dialogue, plenty of improvisation and a lively, almost documentary-like atmosphere.