Movie Review - Catfish

Catfish (2010)

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Talk about a movie that was marketed all kinds of wrong ways.  I completely understand that documentaries aren't big sellers, but setting your trailer up as if you're going to be witnessing some kind of horror show in the film's final act, coupled with the "DON'T TELL ANYONE THE SECRET OF CATFISH" buzz ultimately had to have set this movie up for financial failure.  The failure stems from the fact that this is by no means a thriller, by no means a horror flick.  Instead, Catfish is a surprisingly gripping personal story that is kind of a microcosm of the effects virtual communication is having on our society as a whole.

Rest assured, I won't reveal what the studio doesn't want me to reveal in this review (the comments, should there be any, are another story, however).  Nev Schulman is a photographer living in New York City whose pictures of dance have been posted in various newspapers.  When eight-year old aspiring artist Abby sends Nev a painting of one of his pictures, he begins a Facebook friendship with Abby and her mother, Angela, who live in a small town in Michigan.  As time goes by, Nev is introduced to other members of Abby's family included her older sister, Megan, with whom he quickly becomes enamored.  They begin a long distance relationship consisting only of phone calls, texts, and Facebook messaging.  However, things come to light that make Nev question the relationship and he decides to explore the situation a bit further by trying to have a face-to-face meeting with Megan and her family.

As I said above, there's no horror here or shock value.  Instead, Catfish is a real-life human drama that unfolds in a brisk fashion and never left this viewer the least bit bored (I never checked my phone once for how much time had elapsed...which rarely happens).  The film wouldn't work in the slightest if Nev and his fellow filmmakers (directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman) weren't such seemingly nice guys.  Surprisingly, from the get-go, I immediately liked all three and wanted to see good things happen for them.  I wanted Nev to get to meet this gal with whom he instantly had a connection. [MILD SPOILER AHEAD.]  Even when things start to go awry, the trio of guys take the high road which allows the audience to not only feel for them, but also feel for Angela and her family.  What could have turned into a nasty attack piece is instead fundamentally a sorrowful look at what society has become today and how emotional connections are being made only via a keyboard and cell phone rather than via personal physical interactions.  [END MILD SPOILER.]


While the marketing sets this film up as a gimmicky flick, it's not that in the slightest.  Instead (in somewhat broad terms), it's a poignant tale of unrequited love and the sorrow one endures when they must give up one's dreams.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+