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Kaffeine Buzz
reviews independent and foreign films,
in addition to reporting the latest buzz behind
Colorado's film festivals.
LOOKING FOR SUNDAY (Mark
Piznarski)
The nervous energy was contagious as I sat in
the theatre at the Starz Denver Film Festival
the evening of the world premiere of Looking
for Sunday, a movie produced in
Denver. It seemed that everyone surrounding me
had some connection with the film, not to mention
the presence of the cast and crew. I have to admit
I didn’t have the highest expectations for
this film. My doubts were not born of any particular
reason, perhaps it was more that deep down I feared
Looking for Sunday would bomb and I’d
have to write a bad review of a movie that portrayed
our little city. However, surrounded by all of
these people that felt so connected with the film,
I found myself with butterflies in my stomach
inching towards the edge of my seat.
Looking for Sunday tells the story of
two twenty-something roommates, Peter (Michael
Weston) and Lucas (Spence Decker) coming to terms
with their respective places in the “real
world.” It’s clear by the look of
their apartment cluttered with beer bottles and
retro furniture that these guys have not let go
of their college days. Peter is preparing to present
his dissertation for his PhD in philosophy and
Lucas has become disenchanted with his resident
rock star status in Denver while searching for
something bigger. Katharine Towne plays Elizabeth,
Peter’s high school friend (with whom he’s
still smitten). Elizabeth unexpectedly comes to
town and becomes the catalyst that turns their
world upside down.
Director Mark Piznarski does
a brilliant job of showing off the beauty of our
city and representing the Denver we know and love
with scenes in the Bluebird, Whiskey Bar, and
Samadhi Center for Yoga. The story is familiar
too as the atmosphere of Denver makes for a very
easy and comfortable place to be; which in turn
produces a large number of drifters blissed-out
on the sun, thin air, or perhaps the numerous
adrenal pumping recreational activities and beckoning
of the Rocky Mountain skyline. The character Lucas
ultimately decides to pursue his music career
in L.A. Decker, who played Lucas and also wrote
the original script, said that Denver was the
perfect setting because, “It couldn’t
have been a place that was easy to leave.”
Piznarski said, “I’d like to shoot
every project here.”
I really want this movie to be great particularly
after experiencing first hand the passion of those
who made it. But it’s hard to say if I had
gone to this film on any other day, if it wasn’t
a film so close to home where I saw places that
I frequent and my own friends in the background
of the scenes---would I have loved it?
Looking for Sunday was a pleasant departure
from the many heavy and political films at the
festival. The chemistry between the characters
on screen was on point, the acting pretty damn
good. There were some cheesy moments in the script
and the characters sometimes acted more as if
they were whiny high school kids than college
grads grappling with life’s big questions;
but perhaps that was the point. I think that Looking
for Sunday is a good, solid film, not life
changing, not even riveting but not one in which
you leave feeling like you’ve wasted two
precious hours of your life either.
It’s a film worth checking out and a must
see if you’ve spent any time in Denver.
Lara Catone, November 16, 2006
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