Pizza
(2006/IFC)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C Feature: C+
Writer/director
Mark Christopher’s comedy Pizza
(2006) is a valiant attempt to do a teen film about the rejection of overweight
Cara-Ethyl (Kylie Sparks) who is alone, unhappy and about to turn 18. She finds a friend in the much older pizza
delivery guy Matt (Ethan Embry) who is nicer to her than she is used to and
takes her around as they talk about life.
Nothing
major develops between them, or in this film, where it deals with her issues
and even his to some extent, but allows humor that fails more than succeeds to
override any character study. It could
have been a study and still been funny, but the result resorts to the usual
obvious sex and body humor that is beyond tired. Also, the idea of pizza being any part of
this is not even used in any way that justifies the tile. It could have been about delivering
prescription drugs and not made a difference.
The two leads are not bad, but this is barely worth a look, in part on
how not to do such a project.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image was shot on digital video and has
detail, hazing and even color problems throughout. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound is a
little better, but flat and basically stereo at best with limited music and
dialogue just clear enough to hear.
Extras include a making of featurette and mixed feature-length
commentary by Christopher and producer Howard Gertler.
- Nicholas Sheffo
