Catfish

To hell with "The Socail Network", "Catfish" is the real Facebook movie. If I were to describe it, I would say "It's the dream of every person who has ever walked around with a camera, hoping that a story will unravel for them". "Catfish" is a hell of a ride, with twists both in the plot and the themes. One thing to get out of the way first, this is a documentary in the spirit of "Blare Witch" or anything Michael More makes. So the people in this film are characters, but they do their best to make it feel as raw and real as possible.

When Nev receives a painting from a fan of his photography, he becomes friends with her on Facebook. The painting is signed Abby, an eight year old girl from Michigan. Nev becomes Facebook friends with several of Abby’s family members including her mother and sister. He begins talking on Facebook and the telephone with her mother Angela and sister Megan, and realizes he has feelings for Megan. This is the backstory for a film that Nev's brother Rel and friend Henry decided to make about the discovery of an amazing eight year old painter.

As we begin to learn more about Nev's relationship with Megan, the film begins to focus on his desire to meet her. But while on a work trip the three catch Angela in a lie, as they discover the songs she claims to have recorded are in fact ripped off from youtube. Once one lie is found, holes in everything Nev knows about these people begins to take shape. Both out of curiosity and perhaps Nev's desire to meet Megan, the three film makers decide to take a detour on the trip and drive to Michigan. Twist and turns await them and their hunt for truth.

Obviously as in any "documentary" worth its salt, the editing is key. The editing in this film does a fantastic job creating tension and humor, and well heartfelt moments. Cut-ins from Facebook and other web services that made this story possible are used tastefully and cleverly. My only gripe is that it makes a huge format shift two-thirds of the way through going from a point of view style film to a very formal interview style.

I feel that while yes the scary situations people find them selves in online these days is a device that will draw some into the story, The film is more about the interactions people have with each other. It is about how people act and react in real life versus this new online life many in the world have assumed. It is about how two people react when reality comes crashing in on them. And it is made all the better by the fact that is is a true story. Overall I enjoyed it very much, and can easily recommend it to anyone who has ever had what they consider to be a deep though... If profound thinking isn’t your thing, then maybe you should leave this one alone. But if you enjoy a movie that gets you thinking about your life and your identity and your interactions with other people, go for it.