{2jtab: Movie Review}

For whatever the reason, Facebook  or online communication is destined to be the cinematic topic of the fall movie season.  From David Fincher’s The Social Network to The Virgin Hit and to this, Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost’s co-directed effort, Catfish, the effect and consequences of the online connectivity is well-covered.  And why not?  It’s ripe with juicy and intriguing flavors; full of trust and suspicion and all sorts of consequences. There’s great, human drama there.  It’s universal.  And mysterious.  And, certainly, a new way to make “friends”.  But are these people really your friends?  That’s the material that Schulman and Joost manipulate in Catfish.

Tackling a purely 21^st century problem of online predators, Catfish documents the true story of what happens when one nine-year-old artist, Abby Pierce, reaches out to a New York photographer, Yaniv Schulman, by sending him a painting of one of his photographs.  Soon, via facebook, the two establish a virtual friendship that involves Abby’s mother, her sisters, her brother, and a whole cast of other virtual friends Niv has never met.  Niv, both dazzled and in awe of Abby’s continued painted renderings of his photographs, finds himself drawn to Abby’s older sister.   Thus, a love connection is made.  Flirting begins, a phone conversation happens, music is downloaded and dedicated, and – because it always das - sexting begins; all for Nev’s brother, Ariel, and his friend, Henry, to document with their cameras.  Yet, nothing –possibly including this documentary – is as it is seems.

Schulman is a natural in front of the camera.  He is a pure joy to watch – almost childlike in his depiction/reactions of glee and embarrassment – and he constantly wins over the audience with his wide, toothy grin.  Certainly, he is a charmer and that forward charm works to the film’s benefit.  If there is a need for repeat viewings, I would say it’s in appreciation of his natural on-screen persona.  All emotions are there, they are perfectly real – spiraling from infatuation to shock and, finally, resting on sympathy and they all work for the audience to soak in.

Still, considering the final thirty minutes or so of Catfish, I’m not sure the film lives up to the suspense created by the initial viewing.  For that reason alone, I believe this film works ONE TIME because of its inherent short-sightedness.  Or maybe it operates on an impulsive track that just has a story to tell.  Catfish builds in the suspense, but – once the magician’s hand is revealed – there isn’t a reason to watch the trick again.  There’s no comment.  No real direction.  Just events.  Catfish is an example of a film that works only because it is completely in the moment.  It’s a here-and-now type of film with many questions that go unanswered.  And, in all honesty, they should be left unanswered…if only to leave the audience with the tiniest bit of mystery.

Maybe there is more to this social experiment for others to bare witness to, but I don’t think that’s the idea of the film; it’s about the randomness of the occasion.  And, for right now, I think that’s - just okay.  This isn’t a message-driven documentary.  It’s not a cautionary tale because nothing is brought to a conclusion.  Catfish is a good film, it just doesn’t warrant repeat viewings…just a little sympathy from the audience because what transpires in Catfish is a real phenomenon…with real consequences.  We, as a society, just don’t know what to make of it.

Unlike most documentaries, Catfish isn’t designed to tackle a social topic; it merely presents the topic, playing out its tones with a hint of mystery that a second viewing wouldn’t be able to reconstruct.  Some moments might play out as a “Greatest Hits” package, true enough, but the reason for its existence would be lost.  Because of a lack in a concrete thesis, Catfish – and its overall impact on its subject of virtual friendship – doesn’t really resonant like it should.  That doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy the ride it takes you on, it just means you’ll walk away never needing to do it again.

{pgomakase}

{2jtab: Blu-ray/DVD Details}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - January 4, 2011
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: DTS 5.1; Spanish: DTS 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD); BD-Live; Social network features; Mobile features

Supplements:

Featurettes:

• Q&A Session - (25:00)

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{2jtab: Trailer}

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