The film is only 30 minutes in length. Even though the filmmakers were not able to secure adequate funding for their production, they managed a good portrayal of the coming of age story of twelve-year-old Marco – full of mischievous behavior and harmless pranks on the people around him.
Daniel D’Amico seems the perfect boy for the role as he has the same special aura of Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone or of Mason Gamble in Dennis the Menace – a charming, cheerful appearance on-screen that leads to enjoyable entertainment. The wild rock music at the beginning of the film is misleading in terms of getting the viewers excited about the quality of the soundtrack in the film. Most of it ends up consisting of these typical jingles from the early nineties which, if nothing else, at least makes the film release year easily recognizable.
Looking at the bright side of the whole film, it can be seen as a tutorial of how to have fun (you know just like in that book called The Dangerous Book for Boys) without getting caught by store clerks or so-called “responsible adults”. The ending, however, is horribly clichéd, tasteless and quite stereotypical – which I consider to be a failure on the part of either the Screen Writer or the Director.
While doing my research for this review, I stumbled upon an acting resume of its main personage, Daniel D’Amico. In it he states: ”I have a natural passion for acting, and feel the need to explore my talent further and test my boundaries and challenge myself in this exciting industry. I believe I can mold into any role and I have the skills necessary to do so.”
While I agree with Daniel, it is a pity that he did not land a role in a full length feature film, where his talent could have really shone. Nevertheless, you won’t waste the 30 minutes you will devote to seeing Gotcha. It’s fun — if nothing else.
