Shooting Fish

If this quirky British comedy could be summed up in a word, that word would be "charming".

The story is a simple, low-budget British one: two orphans scam as many people as they can for as much money as they can in an effort to buy the stately home they always dreamed of as children.

Everything is going swimmingly, until they join forces with a typist, Georgie (the perfect Kate Beckinsale), and the plot leads on from there...

The acting is perfect for the film, neither overstated nor low key, and suits the plot and style very well. The direction is quirky, but makes no new ground, and also fits the script to a tee.

This film would be great viewing for a date (perhaps not for a lads night in), and has the simple comedy you might expect from such classic British TV series as "Only Fools and Horses", or "Last of the Summer Wine".

It doesn't require much brain power, but is one of the best homegrown (British) comedies of recent(ish) years.

Jez & Dylan are a very diferent pair. Maybe that's why Georgie finds in them a gold mine. Stefan Schuartz's Shooting Fish ( 2001 ) is a funny comedy about two con artists who, without a family, start to "save" for the house of their dreams. Of course, they define them selves as the 90's Robin Hood, telling Georgie ( played by an unknowned Kate Beckinsale ) they're saving for an orphan's housing proyect. Jez ( Stuart Townsend, a rising british star ) wants to tell the truth, but Dylan ( the american Dan Futterman ) thinks they should go for what they've always wanted.

The plot is probably common, but that doesn't stop Shooting Fish from being funny, romantic, and, in some way, human. Of course it has it's failures, but, if you like it, it's good.

Jez is a computer geek, a wizard with a degree... and social incompetence. Dylan is dislexic, but he can convince anyone with his endless charm. They grew up in public homes, and now they want a house of their own. Georgie is an inocent medicine student, and she needs the money to save her retarded brother's school.

As I said before, the plot is common, but it's original at the same time. It's cleary a Masterpiece, although for some is lack of sense or it should be more adult. But that doesn't stop Shooting Fish to become one of the funniest UK comedies, among with East is East and Trainspoting.

Shooting Fish is a british expression for the action of stealing, to defraud. And that is what they do, only the orphans mentioned before are them.

When the law catches them, they'll have to tell the truth to Georgie, But: Will she forgive them?

This tells us all: even the easiest plan can fail, if you fall in love

SHOOTING FISH Dan Futterman, Stuart Townsend, Kate Beckinsale Directed By Stefan Schuartz Written By stefan Schuartz & Richard Holmes

VERY GOOD 8

I have seen this film so many times and never get sick of it. The casting is brilliant with Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend in fantastic performances.

The plot is quite original following Dylan and Jez - two English con artists who are tricking people out of their money by selling voice recognition computers and other false devices. They need two million dollars to buy the house they never had - having grown up as orphaned children. On one of their scams they employ a secretary and medical student named Georgie, who is convinced they are raising money for an orphans project. This adds romantic themes into the story to make it even more entertaining. A stand out is the interesting relationship that Dylan and Jez have with each other, Dylan being the fast talking American and Jez being the British techno genius.

I recommend 'Shooting Fish' to all movie-goers. It has a great soundtrack, is funny, romantic, creative and a great achievement for British filmmaking.

After reading some of the comments about this film I just had to express my view. This is one of my favorite films. I admit for some it may be an acquired taste. You'll either love it or hate it. I love it and have recommended it to many of my friends. I lent the video to a friend and she loved it so much she kept showing it to her friends and family and I never got it back. I ended up buying a second copy. Maybe not the best of movies but certainly one you may need to see a couple of times to get the "whole" picture. (and little things like the wallpaper in the guys place). I think the idea and premise is very imaginative. If you like this film you may want to check out Cold Comfort Farm. Another quirky "British humor" movie with Kate Beckinsale.

This movie by Stefan Schwartz (co-written with Richard Holmes) thinks it is cleverer than it actually is, and comes out as an odd hybrid of crime caper and romance.

Two conmen - the charmless Dan Futterman as American Dylan, and geeky Stuart Townsend as Jez - have long-standing dreams of making lots of cash by any means to fund their very own stately home. Posh totty Kate Beckinsale as Georgie (a doctor-in-training with secretarial skills) joins them as the beauty and brains of the team and causes havoc between them.

Involved in this semi-engaging brew are voice recognition computer systems, cremation, loft insulation, blow-up dolls, light sabres, a tatty old racehorse, £50 bills, and the music of Burt Bacharach. Glimpsed in the cast are Phyllis Logan, Annette Crosbie, Peter Capaldi, Jane Lapotaire, Nickolas Grace, Nicholas Woodeson, and (in a small but wickedly funny role as Georgie's boyfriend) Dominic Mafham.

'Shooting Fish' is fairly enjoyable but tends to shoot itself down quite early on, without much chance of recovering. Does it know what it is supposed to be? An idea with potential and some laughs, but this movie doesn't know which way to jump.