FILM
REVIEW: Sundance award undeserved, Decena's
'Dopamine' just dopey
By
Michelle Zenarosa
On-line Forty-Niner
Directed
by Mark Decena, "Dopamine," starring
John Livingston ("The Net") and
Sabrina Lloyd ("Ed"), was awarded
the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize for
outstanding independent films featuring
science and technology at the 2003 Sundance
Film Festival.
Unfortunately,
the film does not deliver anything extraordinary,
prompting only yawns and eye-rolling throughout
the corny boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl
plot.
As
part of a four-part film series being launched
by the Sundance Channel, the film begins
as an ordinary romantic drama with a modern
age twist. The film, which will be released
to theaters in October, opens with a narration
by the main character's father explaining
how love and other emotions are nothing
but chemical reactions in the brain.
Rand
(Livingston), is a shy and reserved computer
animator and software designer who pairs
up with his two friends-- Johnson (Rueben
Grundy), the spiritualist, and Winston (Bruno
Campus), the womanizer--to create an ideal
computer pet named Koy Koy.
The
worst part of the movie occurs when Rand
and Sarah have their first corny love scene.
While kissing, Rand attempts to explain
the chemistry when two people think they
are experiencing love.
"Dopamine"
is definitely a chick flick. If you
do see it, bring a nerdy date and prepare
to be bored.
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