Dopamine (2003) Reviews

• A sweet exploration of the questions of love in the scientifically aware post-modern era.

  ryanbartongrimley2003-02-12

  I saw Dopamine at Sundance and I loved it. It was the first movie, to my knowlege that delved into how all humans are chemically programmed from birth, and how awareness of this can take the magic out of life and of love. The question is: Can we overcome our programming. Should we even try? The pitfall for this kind of topic, is usually the story gets bogged down with details and science, but that is not the case here. The characters are all extremely believable. You care for them and they make you laugh as well. Mark Decena did a wonderful job of creating a very good cast to deal with the script and the production value is very good. I was really blown away by the use of the High Definition video format because it looked beautiful. There are no explosions, no huge crane shots, just a tight, unique story that poses new questions about a classic topic, love. Ryan

  More

• Really Enjoyed It

  hprevan22003-10-20

  It's a wonderful movie. The premise is clever. All of the acting is well done. The character, Sarah (Sabrina Lloyd) really caries this movie, as Rand (John Livingston) is a likable underdog type that you instantly root for, but Sarah, while likable, has a darker side and if the audience doesn't care about her then the movie falls apart. A less charismatic and talented actress could not have pulled this part off, but Sabrina Lloyd seems to handle it with a natural charm that makes it look easy. I have no doubt that she will have many opportunities thrown her way based upon her work here. This is a great movie, however a few minor details could have made it better. At just over 80 minutes, they really could have filled out the movie a little more. I can't help but feel that there is a lot of story left untold and some of the scenes feel a little disjointed. With it being an independent feature, I'm sure a lot of this has to do with budget and time (trying to get into Sundance.) I also would have enjoyed a few more light moments between characters. I think one of the reasons some people haven't taken to it is the mistaken idea that it is a romantic comedy. It really isn't. There are a few light moments (don't know if I would even call them comedic moments), but this is definitely a drama. The issues and material are serious, so anyone waiting for Sandra Bullock type goofiness, Meg Ryan over sentiment or Three's Company sexual innuendo miscommunication are going to be disappointed.

  More

• Great experience

  breitbap2004-04-29

  I really enjoyed the unfolding of these characters, all of which have their own challenges. The interplay between the programmers is especially witty. Bruno Campos is very funny and Grundy plays a great straight man. Great visual portrayal of San Francisco. Sarah has a genuineness about her that reflects reality, not stereotypes or cliches. I look forward to future works by Decena and Breitbach and they continue to evolve as filmakers. The Sundance process is one that needs to be supported and I hope to see the Sundance Film Series be a regular thing.

  More

• A failed chemistry experiment

  tprofumo2003-10-12

  This is a nice, well intentioned indie film, the kind that I like to support because it tries to examine the lives of real people, and not the cardboard cut outs Hollywood usually fashions its films around. Unfortunately, Mark Decena's "Dopamine" falls victim to many of the same cliches and off-the-shelf plot devices found in countless main stream Hollywood films. The plot has a couple of computer whiz types visiting a San Francisco bar where their paths cross with a girl artist/pre school teacher. The hero, Rand, and the girl, Sara, are immediately attracted to one another, but Rand is too laid back and too cautious to make his move and so his cocky, arrogant buddy Winston (Winston?) winds up going home with the girl for a one night stand. It ends badly and Winston thinks that's the end of it. From there we find out all about the boys, who are in the middle of developing a computer generated pet, a sort of chia pet in cyberspace that you don't even get to water. But some Japanese businessmen are hot for the idea and have been bankrolling them for the past three years. The plot thickens when they wind up having to give it a test run in a pre-school class where guess who just happens to be one of the teachers? Sara's skeptical about the idea, but she likes Rand and the two of them start dating. One can't go too much farther without giving away the plot. But this is where this picture falls down. First because, unlike a lot of current American films that have a plot, but no subplot, this picture is almost equally divided between the Sara and Rand romance and the development of this animated Tweedy bird. It's too much balance. It needed far less Tweedy bird and more human characterization. But the confusion doesn't stop there, for an even silly subplot is the idea that human emotions are really sparked by chemical changes or excretions, thus the title of the film. So occasionally, as if this somehow is funny, we zoom inside people's bodies for a look at their nerve endings excreting the proper chemical at the proper time. Once would have been cute. More than once was not and never did it come off as entertaining. Anyway, Sara and Rand wind up facing some relationship roadblocks and that's where this really sort of sags. Rand, it turns out, is building Tweedy bird, a pet that will never leave you, because he has abandonment issues. Sara is occasionally promiscuous because -- well I can't tell you without a spoiler alert. But I shouldn't have to. Sara has a deep dark secret, but the thing is, its the same secret that has propelled every day time soap opera and Lifetime made-for-TV movie for the past 30 years. Beyond the script, however, the film goes pretty well. The direction is fine and the photography adequate for a low budget indie, although a little too artsy at times, especially on its transition scenes, some of which seem rather unnecessary. The acting is uniformly good, although the hero, played by John Livingston, a sort of Ben Affleck look alike, is a little too laid back to be really believable. But high marks go to Sabrina Lloyd as Sara. She rings about everything you could ring out of the role. She is really very believable when finally fessing up about her dark secret, making you want to comfort her, even as you want to strangle the script writers for this over used plot twist. Lloyd, although perhaps lacking the stunning good looks for mainstream stardom, could be the next Indie queen. Nice piece of work on her part. Overall, though, the picture gets a low 7 out of 10.

  More

• Has a feel of Requiem for a Dream with more pleasant content.

  Lfiata2003-10-11

  People are giving this movie unfair ratings. It was both analytic, which we all feel compelled to be, and sensitive. The soundtrack was amazing, and the camera work done with the high speed film perfectly conveyed the mood of the film at the appropriate moments. If you don't like this movie, perhaps you're missing at heart because it certainly pulled at mine.

  More