Monday, April 23, 2012

Masked Mom's Media Monday: Catfish

I don't get out much and I'm not much of a movie buff. Even if I were, the town I live in has one movie theater, which can show only two films at a time, so, needless to say, anything labeled "documentary" is unlikely to make it up on to that marquee. The nearest multiplex-style theater is more than forty minutes away.

All this is to explain how it is that Catfish, a documentary that was released in 2010, has only now pierced my consciousness. It came to my attention on Saturday when Daughter-Only and her boyfriend, A.M. could not quit raving about it and basically held me hostage and forced me to watch it.

I'm so glad they did.

I've spent a good deal of my waking moments since then trying to figure out what to say about this film without giving away too much. I've decided that it's virtually impossible to talk about the details meaningfully without spoiling significant portions of the film.

I can tell you, though, that the main subject of the film, Nev Schulman, is appealing and his enthusiasm is infectious. So, too, are the other emotions we see him struggle with as he makes his way through one of the strangest life experiences he is ever likely to have. I can tell you also that Catfish is a story about how people aren't always what they seem and, perhaps even more importantly, it's a story about the way choosing one path in life, choosing to be one self, sometimes feels like selling out all those other possible selves we might've been. It's a story about where those other selves go. What do we give up when we ignore them? What happens when they refuse to be ignored?

It's a significantly deeper story than Nev and his filmmaker friends, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (who is also Nev's older brother), set out to tell. It is difficult to watch in places--raw and even a little creepy sometimes--but it is impossible to turn away. At some point during the final half hour of this film, I realized that I had lifted my hand to my mouth in shock and I had no idea how long it had been resting there. At the heart of this film is a somewhat predictable deception, but what I didn't anticipate was the courage and generosity and even compassion that came after that deception was revealed.


I'm embedding one version of the trailer here--the one that I feel does the film more justice. (Apparently, a lot of people who saw the original trailer were under the mistaken impression that it was a horror film of some kind. Please know that that is not the case.) If you click through to watch it directly on YouTube beware spoilers in the comments section.



Before I close, let me add that in searching for the trailer and other information about the film, I came across some "controversy" online regarding the authenticity of this documentary. There are a number of people on the internet who are apparently convinced that the entire thing (or large parts of it) was staged. I will say only this: I personally believe that it is authentic, but to be honest, if it's not, it changes my feelings about the film not one tiny bit--except perhaps to make this accomplishment even more impressive.

Masked Mom's One-Word Review: Absorbing.

(PS--If you have seen it, I would love to hear what you think. Leave it in a (spoiler-free) comment or send an email.)

8 comments:

  1. Okay - you have hooked me (get it??? hooked me - ha ha) - let's see if it is playing in the "big city" of Santa Rosa - about a 25 minute drive....

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    1. JT, it's available on DVD now. Though in more culturally advanced areas, I'm sure you can find it still playing in theaters. ;)

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  2. Now I'm going to have to see this. Just as soon as I finish watching Season 1 of Game of Thrones.

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    1. I don't think it will disappoint. And I hope if you do see it, you'll let me know what you thought. I don't remember the last time I saw something so powerful.

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    2. OK, I just watched this last night and I am still pondering it. I re-read your review and it is even more compelling now that I have seen the movie. I will have to email you so we can discuss. Its subject matter is ironic to me, given how I "know" you.

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    3. Looking forward to that discussion--and yes, all my online connections came to mind while watching it as well. ;)

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  3. You didn't give anything away, but still managed to make me want to see it.
    I have a friend who has 'SEEMS2B' on her license plate. When I asked its meaning, she said it's because most people aren't what they seem to be. I think about that often and do wonder about my other selves who got left behind.

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    1. There is a scene or two in this film that got me right in the gut. It ended up being a completely different experience than I was anticipating. I hope you'll let me know what you think if you do get to see it. I'm very curious how other people will think of it.

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