Reviewer's Bias*
Loves:
Likes: Good indie films, Edward Burns, David Krumholtz, Chris Parnell
Dislikes: New York City
Hates: Cheaters

The Movie
At this point in his career, most people can write a synopsis for an Ed Burns film, without even seeing a trailer. It's probably going to be a low-budget film set in New York, involving a guy struggling with a relationship. and one of the stars is going to be playing an Irish-American guy. It's also probably going to be a decent little film with enough interesting characters to carry it from opening titles to the final fade.

This story centers around Abe (Krumholtz, "Numb3rs"), a high-school baseball coach from small-town Peekskill , New York. His wife,the titular Kitty, has disappeared to New York City, and he needs help finding her. That help comes in the form of Jack (Burns), a struggling private detective, dealing with some personal problems of his own. Together, they search the city trying to find Abe's "stray cat." Unfortunately for Abe, Jack's not very good at detective work. and Kitty doesn't seem to want to be found.

Playing a character who's basically playing a noir-era gumshoe, Burns is good, displaying the everyman charm that's made him a star, and adding a heavy dose of pain. It makes what could have been your standard hard-boiled detective and creates a believable lead for a film that needed one. If Abe, with his meticulous and ridiculous eyebrows and mustache was allowed to dominate the screen, he might cause a panic, but instead, he's just another Krumholtz character that's likable and shlubbish. That's not a bad thing, as he's a master at creating that kind of balance and it makes for a sympathetic lead the audience can side with.

Burns combined the two men's stories in their search for Kitty, revealing details at a natural pace, instead of being spilled like most exposition. As a result, a story that's not too complex doesn't feel stretched out. Instead, it's just a well-paced drama with touches of comedy that make it ring true.

Two "SNL" vets are credited with starring roles in the film. Unfortunately, Chris Parnell and Rachel Dratch are both in minor roles, neither of which does much in the film. Despite that, both performances were enjoyable, with Parnell playing an ass the way he does well, and Dratch flirting up a storm. One wonders if they their roles would have added to the movie with more screen time, but money and availability certainly played a part.

The DVD
The DVD, a one-disc release, is packed in a standard keepcase, with an insert that has a letter from the director and a listing of chapter stops. The disc has an animated full-frame main menu, with options to watch the film, select scenes and check out the special features. There are no audio options or subtitles, but there are closed captions. Oddly, on my copy, the captions are not for Looking for Kitty, but for Down in the Valley.

The Quality
The anamorphic widescreen transfer on this disc is good, but not great, with the color coming in a bit dull, and the level of detail looking soft. Excessive grain and video noise can be seen in spots, especially darker scenes, but there's no dirt or damage to be found.

The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is purely down the middle, without anything that stands out. It's a good example of a basic dialogue-heavy mix.

The Extras
A feature-length audio commentary by Burns is a nice supplement to the film as the writer/director explains how the film came together as a low-budget digital feature. Burns admits to mistakes he's made, not just in this movie, and spreads praise to his cast. It's also a pretty good guide to how to shoot a film for less than $200,000. An intelligent filmmaker, he's interesting to listen to.

An alternate opening is also included, which is essentially a re-editing of several scenes in the movie, along with some new scenes that change the way the story unfolds. Burns mentions this during the commentary, but some further explanation would be nice. A collection of quality trailers, including one for this film, wrap things up.

The Bottom Line
Embracing the possibilities of digital filmmaking, Burns once again has crafted an efficient, intimate story of love and loss, aided by a very good performance by Krumholtz. The DVD gives the film a solid presentation and provides a few quality extras that supplement the film. Fans of Burns' previous love letters to New York can check it out without hesitation, along with filmgoers looking for a tight, enjoyable movie that's more about emotion than plot.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.