Shooting Fish

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.

So I just caught this movie, years after it first came out.... and loved it! The lead characters are perfectly cast, complimenting each others performances wonderfully throughout. Ok, so I knew from scene one that it was all going to turn out for the best in the end, but it was the sort of movie where I didn't care! Great comedy situations, and strong writing ensured a thoroughly enjoyable experience. N.B - No review of this film would be complete without a mention of the fantastic soundtrack. From 60's American, past 90's Britpop, and culminating in the utterly magical workings of Neil Hannon - it was a joy to listen to.

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.

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.

Normally when it comes to voting for movies on the IMDb, I'm quite liberal. I don't set very high standards for movies. I always tend to rate films based on how much I enjoy them and this means that most of the time I always rate films highly cos I try and find something good in every film I see. I saw this film when I was vacationing in England. BBC One actually transmitted this at 11 PM, since they believed that The Peacemaker was a film more deserving of the 9:00 slot. Unlike the Peacemaker, Shooting Fish is a film that almost anybody would enjoy, unless he/she was the kind of person who found simple effective storytelling a turnoff.

Everything about this movie seems in perfect harmony. The chemistry between Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend is perfect, word for word. And Kate Beckinsale is a perfect third piece to the puzzle; When the conversations in the movie occur, you never get the feeling you're watching a contrived conversation written by someone else, you get the feeling you're watching real life unfold. That's a hallmark of a good scriptwriter and the people who wrote this deserve credit for the story.

As for the story itself, it never lets itself become too complicated and lends itself to a lot of funny situations. Fast-talking Dylan and socially naive Jez (Futterman and Townsend) are two con men trying to raise money to build their dream house. They end up enlisting Georgina's (short-haired Kate Beckinsale in a beautiful role from her pre-Hollywood Glamourpuss days) help on a particular scam. Soon she discovers what they're up to and the story unfolds from there, with both Dylan and Jez seemingly falling for Georgie. Here again, the movie doesn't nosedive and morph into a conventional love story; rather, the romance builds in a backdrop to the main story and culminates in a heartwarming finale. As for Dan and Jez, some of their schemes may not be very believable and yet you cant help but be amused by the way they go about implementing them.

This film is a good reason why small budget comedy romances are popular - simply put, they work. On every level. Watching this film gives you the same kind of feeling as watching While you were Sleeping, for example. For the sheer sweetness of the film and for Kate Beckinsale's performance, I'd give it 7 on 10.