Otherwise, a very interesting topic for a documentary kinda spoiled by the three smug bastards filming it.


3 out of 5.

homophobia alarm

Heh - - do you have an inferiority complex? I have no problem with your homosexuality, Groaning - - nor with anyone else being gay.

Catfish shows the ways of desperation and manipulation within the aspect of the Internet but it's message is all too familiar in today's society and as such isn't gripping. Nev's connection with a young painter and her family is a sweet one and could of made alone a good scripted movie but as the film really begins to take off and hit its peak, it becomes boring and drawn out too far. The results could be seen a mile away come the half-hour mark and the film tries to build suspense when the true story is just a desperate sob one. Both sides have been tricked in their own matter and the film tries to make a resolution to this but it is too dragged out. Yes, there are evils to the Internet, people should know that, but there is nothing unique in this ending that is different from many of the similar situations people face though it can still be sad. If the film was enjoyable as the first half, this documentary would of worked but with the dull second portion it just quite doesn't, even if in their own ways these people are likeable. **

CATFISH

I saw this today because I was pretty interested after being affected by the publicity and commercials that made it has this big secret to keep.

I won't spoil it but it didn't blow me away. I did find the beginning interesting but after a bit you knew there wasn't something right about the Megan girl. I will say that it is interesting and crazy about what happened (speaking of I'm not even sure if this was real. I haven't googled/wiki'd it yet), so if it was real then that's crazy. I did enjoy the opening credits and the use of google maps.

Grade - C

This is a rare example of a movie that has improved in my estimation as I continue to reflect upon it.

As I said in my original review, the filmmakers come off as smug bastards, however my admiration for them has grown because of the fact that they allow themselves to be seen hoist by their own petard. They could have easily hidden the fact they were the ones who turned out to be the mean spirited scammers, not their subject - - but they laid this whole mess bare. It really is a quite brave turn.

We've been fortunate in 2010 to have already had quite a few great feature documentaries playing in theatres: Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work, Oceans, Babies, Exit Through The Gift Shop - - to this list, I must now add Catfish and I hereby revise my grade to:


12 out of 5.

I saw this today and I absolutely loved it. It was very relevant and surprisingly moving. Brilliant movie and one of the best films of the year. It's not real though, from what I've heard.

9/10 (A)

This sucked.

Excellent! A very intriguing documentary.

8/10 (A-)

It is real. The Blu-ray/DVD has a very interesting Q&A with the filmmakers.

I watched it a couple of nights ago and I've been back and forth on it ever since. On one hand I think it's well made and interesting. On the other hand the last third screams of bullshit, and if it isn't it then comes across as borderline offensive. I know many documentaries have shown far more worse and disturbing things, but with what the three guys do here is pretty much manipulative, heartless, and exploitative. The three filmmakers could argue that it wouldn't be a truly fair account if the entire family wasn't shown, but I thought a line had to be drawn somewhere. And the scene at the end with the husband...he's clearly missing a couple of tools in the shed and he drops that profound metaphor that just happens to explain the title of the movie? No...

** (C)

A compelling mystery with a poignant conclusion. If it's real, they stumbled upon a fascinating story and captured/presented it well. If it's (partly) fiction devised by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, then they're skilled storytellers--and very good at simulating a "real," no-frills, shot-on-the-fly documentary. Either way, this is a good, valuable film.

B+