Gino (Paul Santoli, who also directs and co-wrote the script) from Long Island is a bright but lazy slacker in the offbeat romantic comedy Because of Mika. He delivers pizza, sells weed, and goes to parties to hook up with beautiful women. Yet, somehow, he feels unfulfilled. One evening, he finds a stray German Shepherd with a tag that says “Mika.” After having no luck reaching anyone at the number on the tag, he brings Mika home until he can find her owner. This, of course, radically disrupts his life. Something is strange about this dog in that nobody except Gino can see her.
After a couple of days, he takes Mika to the address on her tag, which is the home of Vanessa (Becky Boggs). Vanessa is a beautiful young woman who is going through a troubling time. She’s failing at work, avoiding her father, Andy (Richard Cutting), and generally does not have her s**t together. When Gino brings Mika back, Vanessa thinks he is a drug-tripping stalker because she sees no dog. She says she did have a dog named Mika who died and calls the police. After being tased and released, Gino concludes that Mika is a ghost when he can’t see her on his phone camera. He brings in a priest to bless his apartment, but Mika’s spirit is not here for nefarious purposes. It turns out that Mika’s mission is to bring people together who need each other and start them toward a positive path. Of course, spectral Mika brings Gino and Vanessa together, and they both begin dealing with their individual traumas.
“…One evening he finds a stray German Shepherd with a tag that says ‘Mika’ …”
The vibe of Because of Mika is reminiscent of Clerks, but with mobile phones. Interstitial transitions are punctuated with frenetic punk music. The comedic performances and beats are broad and loud. There’s nothing subtle about anything in the film. This all shouts “Long Island” all the way through. Call it a strip-mall Rom-Com.
With Mika, the ghost-dog spirit guide, pushing Gino and Vanessa toward their better destinies (and each other), the film also comes across as a sort of profane after-school special. This couple winds up with a better “how we met” story than saying it was on an internet dating app.
A pivotal moment of the film takes place by the water with the New York City skyline at night in the background. It’s a simple but powerful setup. Santolini and Boggs have a sparky chemistry, and who doesn’t love a German Shepherd? The combination of the three, plus the uniquely New York culture, makes for a charming, sweet sojourn with the characters, including the city.
"…nobody except Gino can see the dog..."
