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Looking for Kitty

As an unabashed Ed Burns fan, it can be hard to find a way to defend him, to both haters and people who have no idea who he is. Burns polarizes the movie community, oddly enough. He has both a shy diminutive fan base of people who actually enjoy films and, in that consideration, those same people place his movies within that judgmental realm of filmdom. The other side of Burns’ fan base is not unlike that of bands like Matchbox 20, inasmuch as soccer moms or middle-aged women who think he’s cute and adore him.

Sure, Burns lacks a certain unspoken acting ability and his films all seem to wander around the same territory: the self-obsessed New Yorker, struggling with issues of fidelity. Sounds a lot like another self-obsessed New Yorker, struggling with issues of fidelity, no? One thing I can say about Burns, in comparison to the aforementioned, once-great, aging director. Burns’ films have significantly improved over the past decade, whereas a not-so-subtle declination in quality has marred the once amazing and fulfilling work of Woody Allen.

Seemingly, Burns’ star has faded a little; he is no longer the Sundance wunderkind who wowed Robert Redford so much he produced Burns’ follow-up, which was basically a rehashed version of The Brothers McMullen, but with much hotter chicks. And with his star just a little bit dimmer, Burns has been able to produce some of his better, smaller works, such as Looking for Kitty.

In this film, Burns brings in the delightful character actor, David Krumholtz, and SNL alum, Rachel Dratch, to make his foray into a more soulful, and heartfelt film. Here, Krumholtz’s Abe Fiannico is looking for his estranged wife, the titular Kitty. Fiannico has employed Private Investigator Jack Stanton (Burns) to help find her, despite all evidence pointing to the fact that she simply does not want to be found…by him. Krumholtz brings to his character a brilliant portrayal of a man who is so comfortable in his life that he simply cannot believe anyone would be incapable of enjoying it as much as he. His pathetic existence, outwardly seen by everyone, but him as just that, leads Burns’ Stanton to develop a mild, if uneven friendship with him, despite his anti-social behavior brought on by the passing of his own wife some years prior.

Amazingly, Burns delivers some genuinely memorable scenes wherein his character, Stanton, mourns his wife, quietly and soulfully. This is the crux of not only his character, but the film as well. Plot aside, Looking for Kitty is, in actuality, about the loss of love and the renewal of life through the bonds men make with one another. More to Burns’ credit, his screenplay here is witty, subtle and touching, without having too much of one ingredient that it overwhelms the textures and specificity of a particular addition.

The sparse DVD from Thinkfilm provides little in the way of extras, but its small offerings are certainly quality. An alternate opening is interesting, but not as good as Burns’ commentary track. Whatever it is about that guy, his low, droll voice brings together all the nuances of the film in surprising clarity. As a Burns fan for life, this is one of his high points.

Written by: Kevin Yeoman

Reviewers Rating: 7.5
Reader's Rating: 10.00
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