Looking for Kitty is another quiet, clever little film, made in 2004 and now released through THINKFilm, which has had some interesting offerings out this year.
"Kitty" is in its essence about the three "L"s that comprise the holy trinity of human misery, Love, Loneliness and Loss.
Edward Burns is the goyishe Woody Allen. A New York City boy who had a brilliant debut film of The Brothers McMullen. Edward Burns writes, directs, and stars as a former New York cop turned down-and-out private eye hired by a high school baseball coach to find his runaway wife, whom he thinks is shacking up with a dubious rock star.
Burns plays private investigator Jack Stanton, who has recently lost his wife and stoically masks his grief. His new client is small town and not so worldly Abe Fiannico played by David Krumholtz whose performance and physical presence is reminiscent of Bruno Kirby.
Abe comes to New York City from upstate, hopefully to find his MIA wife Kitty, played by Ari Meyers. Abe's bored wife left him to be with Ron Stewart, not to be confused with Rod Stewart, played by Max Baker.
It becomes a bit of a buddy flick once Jack acquiesces to Abe's earnest desire to find Kitty, partner with him to help, and their neuroses collide and small hurdles are jumped, such as Abe's coffee and "international food" phobias and Jack's unwillingness to eat inside at restaurants. Cathartic moments have both male leads finally able to bridge into the next phase of living, and put the past to bed.
This is not Burns best effort, it is flawed, but I still liked this film. There is a bit of casting chemistry misfiring between Jack and Abe. There is a sweet and sad performance of Julie, the lush-y barfly played by Rachel Dratch. She does a great job with this role.
Burns' films always leave me a bit melancholy. There's a Yankee snap in his scripted dialogue that shows his ear is true, it harkens many memories of a life past for those of us who grew up on the eastern seaboard in working class Irish and Italian mixed catholic towns and cities. Speak with anyone who is a coastal easterner living anywhere in the southern or western Diaspora of the United States, Burns' neighborhood musings are of places we remember vividly, but can never return to. His films make me miss the familiar of my past.
DVD extras include a commentary with Edward Burns, and alternate opening, the theatrical trailer and gallery.
Burns directs in the style of so many great Woody Allen directed and Gordon Willis lensed films, a moving ode to New York and a remembrance of the way it was, before the Trump- ification and neighborhoods became unrecognizable. Burns shows it in each frame. His political leanings are evident in some scripted sniping at the current administration.
Burns caught some bad reviews and criticism for this film. Though not as good as his debut with Brothers McMullen, I would recommend it still. 3.5/5 Stars
Looking for Kitty is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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