When the first scenes of “Breakfast with Curtis” splashed across the screen, they triggered memories of my bohemian days in Kitsilano (Vancouver / B.C.).
The two-storey houses the characters communally-shared (which were artfully painted in psychedelic colors boasting wide verandas and fanciful bay windows with gingerbread trim) were just like those I spent carefree days lounging about in at home in Canada.
Frankly, film experience was like stepping into a time warp, of sorts.
In this off-the-wall low-budget Independent flick, the director adeptly rustles up a giggle or two – in part due to - a cast of off-beat characters that resonate with the audience (an eccentric rare book collector anxious to jazz up his web site with the able assistance of a young computer whiz coming-of-age, a young Lothario with a lust for wild sexy three-ways, a middle-aged father caught up in reefer madness, for instance).
The quirky little comedy is much ado about nothing, really, but it entertains.
“The production values were bad. If a filmmaker can’t afford to make a film the right way, they shouldn’t make it at all,” one tough critic lamented in the filmmaker’s lounge later.
If that was the case, a handful of gems might have never been made, I thought to myself as I brushed him off gently.
If a film has “heart” and shows the potential of a filmmaker (or the actors) I am inclined to ignore the rough edges and give at least one thumb up or an "A" for effort.
Every budding you talent needs to get a start somewhere, after all.
Though the flick may not make it into the mainstream, or be distributed by one of the majors, it will probably continue on the festival circuit and delight dozens of filmgoers along the way.
It's a great film to screen on a rainy night, by the way, in the event it gets released on DVD.
2 ½ Stars
0 comments:
Post a Comment