|
Movies •Books •Music •Food •Tv Shows •Technology •Politics •Video Games •Parenting •Fashion •Green Living •more >

Lunch » Tags » Movies » Reviews » Catfish » User review

Catfish
Catfish

A movie directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

< read all 6 reviews

Maybe the Girl You Love Isn't Who She Says She Is

  • Sep 25, 2010
Rating:
+4
That the authenticity of "Catfish" is in question is both the film's greatest strength and its biggest weakness. Directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost have repeatedly claimed that their documentary isn't a hoax, and while I'd like to believe them, I admit that I have my doubts; some of it comes off as a little too dramatic, almost as if the situation were intentionally manufactured for the sake of telling a cautionary tale of internet romance. That being said, the definition and purpose of a true documentary is open for debate. Some believe it should objectively present life as it is, the camera meant to provoke or surprise an unassuming subject, the audience meant to participate as a fly on the wall. Others believe it should express an opinion and support its position with facts and figures. "Catfish" seems to do a little bit of both, confusing matters even further.

Still, there's no denying that it's a gripping piece of work - mysterious, at times suspenseful, at times amusing, and in the end, a curiously touching examination of human behavior and the power of art. If the film is real, if the people on camera are not actors but actual documentary subjects, then it may someday be regarded as one of the best examples of early twenty-first century Cinéma vérité.

The film follows New York photographer Nev Schulman, Ariel's brother, who in 2008 received a painting of one of his photos from eight-year-old Michigan native Abby Pierce. Flattered by her interest in his work, he adds her as a friend on Facebook. This quickly expands to include most of her family, including her mother, Angela, and her older half-sister, Megan, the latter two he begins corresponding with over the phone. He has an especially good rapport with Megan, who's incredibly attractive and has dozens of pictures on her Facebook account. She's an artist herself - a singer and a songwriter. She has also just purchased a farm and is raising horses. Nev is smitten, and in due time, the two start a long-distance relationship. They text each other constantly, progressing naturally from chaste flirtation to bold innuendo. She eventually posts a few of her songs on Facebook for him to listen to, and he tells her they're all very good.

But then Nev discovers that all of the same songs appear on YouTube. One sounds exactly the same as Megan's version. She tells him that she was merely covering the songs, but it's obvious she isn't telling the truth. And what about Abby's paintings? Angela tells him that they're being sold all over the state for various amounts. She also tells him that Abby has just acquired access to a vacant building, which will be converted to a gallery to display her work. A few phone calls make it clear that this is simply not the case. Why are they lying to Nev? How could he have been so gullible? After documenting a dance festival in Colorado, Nev, Ariel, and Henry decide to travel to Michigan and confront Megan and Angela.

And this is where I will stop describing the sequence of events. I will say that it leads to an unexpectedly emotional conclusion. The goal isn't necessarily to shock, although certain audiences may respond to it in that manner; the real goal is to awaken within the audience a sense of empathy, to show us why certain people are the way they are, even if we may not understand. And here again I question the film's authenticity. Isn't it a little too convenient that such a message should be sent at a time when millions upon millions of people - myself included - are frequent Facebook users? I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel that something subversive is at work here. It's almost as if the filmmakers wanted everything to go the way it actually does go. No, I don't have any proof of this. It's just my gut reaction.

That doesn't change the fact that I was actively engaged with the material. Even the title got me hooked (no pun intended). The tagline warns, "Don't let anyone tell you what it is," and while this may seem pretty stern, it also ignites a fascinating air of anticipation. What exactly does the title refer to? An interview near the end of the film puts it into perspective, and it affected me in two distinct ways: (1) It allowed me to see where certain people were coming from, even though I wholeheartedly disagreed with the methods employed; (2) it stirred within me such feelings of pity that I was tempted to overlook a certain someone's serious lack of judgment. I was tempted, but I ultimately didn't cave in. If that makes me a bad guy, keep in mind that the lies were perpetuated even after Nev and his team arrived in Michigan. If you can't come clean even after the person you lied to has you in a corner, I tend to doubt there will ever be a point at which enough is enough.

What did you think of this review?

Helpful
20
Thought-Provoking
19
Fun to Read
16
Well-Organized
15
Post a Comment
January 13, 2011
I've been really curious about this one. I think it just came out on BD right?
January 13, 2011
BD? I'm not familiar with that abbreviation. Regardless, yes, it is an interesting movie, in large part because it continuously tests the audience's belief that it's an authentic documentary.
 
December 04, 2010
I can't wait for this to come out on Netflix- it looks incredibly intriguing! Thanks for the review.
 
December 02, 2010
I'm always looking for a good documentary--and if it's actuallya piece of fakery, all the better.
 
September 30, 2010
I saw Catfish as a trending topic on Twitter the other week. I assumed it was some horror movie for some reason, but this sounds intriguing, too! I'll have to catch it. Thanks for sharing :)
October 01, 2010
You're welcome. The ads do lead you to believe it's all nonstop suspense. That may ultimately prove to be the film's undoing, since it could attract the wrong crowd.
 
1
More Catfish reviews
review by . March 11, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
*** out of ****     "Catfish" is the kind of movie that would have done even better if it hadn't been advertised so poorly. The trailers make the thing out to be some sort of thriller. What we get when we actually watch the thing is a drama; but luckily, it's a good one with a heart. I do admire "Catfish" for its entertaining qualities; and then again, there are moments where the thing just wasn't all that good. But as a whole, "Catfish" is for sure the movie that you'd expect …
review by . February 11, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
“The internet is always lying to you.”   - personal advice to me from Mike (Cruft), whom I initially met online in 2003.      When Catfish started stirring the waters (tee hee) of art house theaters here in Los Angeles I did not know what it was about. After I caught wind from a tweet praising it, I inquired – she, the Tweeter, said she couldn’t tell me anything other than it was good and I must get to a theater ASAP to see it. Well, art house …
Quick Tip by . January 04, 2012
posted in Movie Hype
I hate to see people embarrassed even when they deserve it. When it was over I wound up disliking the deluded as much as the deluders.
review by . September 25, 2010
posted in Movie Hype
The original Facebook Movie
CATFISH   Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman   Starring Nev Schulman      Nev: They didn’t fool me.  They just told me things and I didn’t question them.  That’s not fooling.      There are still people out there who consider meeting people from the internet to be a pretty dangerous thing. They might not be who they say they are or, worse yet, they could be a serial killer or something equally frightening.  …
Quick Tip by . September 17, 2010
This movie looks awesome. Great Facebook love story turns creepy! I'm in!
see all Catfish reviews (6)
About the reviewer
Chris Pandolfi ()
Ranked #7
Growing up a shy kid in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles, Chris Pandolfi knows all about the imagination. Pretend games were always the most fun for him, especially on the school playground; he and his … more
Consider the Source

Use Trust Points to see how much you can rely on this review.

You
Chris_Pandolfi
Your ratings:
MORNING GLORY (2010)
Morning Glory (2010)
The Imposter
The Imposter
Another Year
Another Year
SALT (2010)
Salt (movie)
rate more to improve this
Recent reviews by Chris_Pandolfi
Argo
A Fake Movie, a Real Rescue Mission
a review of Argo
War of the Buttons
Pergaud's Turf War Gets the WWII Treatment
a review of War of the Buttons
Atlas Shrugged: Part II
Rand to Her Readers: "You're on Your Own"
a review of Atlas Shrugged: Part II
see more reviews
About this movie

Wiki

The slipperiness of truth and lies on the Internet gets played out in unexpected ways in the documentary Catfish. When Nev Schulman receives a painting based on a photograph of his from an 8-year-old girl named Abby in Michigan, he doesn't realize this is going to lead to a long-distance romance with Abby's older sister Megan… and that this romance, conducted over the phone and the Internet, will lead to something far more troubling. It would be unfair to reveal more details of Catfish, as the process of discovery is one of its pleasures--but even if you do know the sequence of events, the movie's ultimate reward is not the revelation of secrets but the surprising and very human interactions of the movie's last third. While there is a thriller aspect to the movie--and the suspense at points is indeed nail biting--the revelation isn't the bang that Hollywood movies lead you to expect. Instead,Catfish turns sad, unsettling, and sure to inspire arguments about motivations and human nature.--Bret Fetzer
view wiki

Tags

Actors & Actresses, Movies, documentaries, Social Media, Documentary, Social Networking, 2010 Movies, Catfish
see all

Details

Genre: Documentary
Release Date: 17 September 2010 (USA)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 87 min
Studio: Universal
see all (8)
First to Review

"Maybe the Girl You Love Isn't Who She Says She Is"
© 2013 Lunch.com, LLC All Rights Reserved
Lunch.com - Relevant reviews by real people.
()
This is you!
Ranked #
Last login
Member since
reviews
comments
ratings
questions
compliments
lists