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Mathew Scott

Looking for Kitty

Starring: Edward Burns,  David Krumholtz,  Max Baker,  Chris Parnell,  Rachel Dratch

Director: Edward Burns

The film: New York native Edward Burns  has carved  a niche in the film world, producing low-budget  and very personal productions. The Brothers McMullen   was his first - and was a hit at the Sundance film festival in 1995, winning the Grand Jury prize.

In the years since, he has worked as an actor in such big-budget productions as Saving Private Ryan while banging away on the independent scene with his own directorial work.

His latest, Looking for Kitty,  is about as low-budget as you can get these days - it was put together for  about US$200,000. It premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2004 but never made it into cinemas. No great surprise, really, as the  film is no great shakes and doesn't  take Burns' familiar themes - men bonding during hard times and learning to get on with their lives -  any further than he has before.

That's not to say the film isn't worth a look. Burns and co-star David Krumholtz  (below  left with Burns) bring charm to their roles as a policeman-turned-private eye and his client, whose wife has run off to New York to live with a rock star. The unlikely friendship that develops between the two very different men helps shake both  out of a malaise brought on by the end of their respective relationships.

Burns' script is full of gentle humour and, by using digital video to capture the city, he gives the film a very earthy, very real, atmosphere.

Moreover, it's a triumph of the director's will. He gathered friends together to see what they could do on a pittance. And with that in mind,  at least, the film is a success.

It effectively captures New York at a street level, full of characters and life. And he allows  us to get close to the characters, which makes their voyages of discovery a personal experience for the audience as well. As you might expect with US$200,000 to spend,  the production is,  at times, rough and ready. But it's also short - at 87 minutes - and quite sweet.

The extras: An alternate opening shows how the film could have had an entirely different, slower, mood. Best of all - especially for any aspiring filmmaker - is Burns' in-depth commentary, where he offers advice on how to cut corners and how to make best use of a limited budget. He's also refreshingly open about what parts of the film met with his approval and what mistakes he thinks he made. There's also the trailer, which never had a release, and a photo gallery.

The verdict: A slight production, but one that nonetheless shows  what can  be achieved with  little money and a lot of enthusiasm.



Looking for Kitty