Little Fish, Strange Pond

I saw this titled as "Frenemy" but "Little Fish, Strange Pond" is a much better title. It's not just that Mr. Jack (Matthew Modine) and Sweet Stephan (Callum Blue) are small players in the grand schemes of the world, but that the world is a strange place.

Mr. Jack and Sweet Stephan walk around L.A. together. It's about the weird characters they meet, the crimes they observe, but ultimately, it's about them, their place in the world, their past and their fate. Paraphrasing from one of Modine's speeches, it was a great day, just a day, but it had the perfect mix of intrigue, danger, tragedy, love, sex, violence and plain old American fun.

There was more tragedy and violence, and less love and sex than most people would have in their perfect day, but it was brilliant. Forget "The Social Network", "Little Fish, Strange Pond" has the best dialogue of the year, and Matthew Modine and Callum Blue deliver the best performances of their careers. Be prepared for profanity and disturbing actions, but this is one great little film in a strange pond.

The name Frenemy provoked a giggle out of a friend when I recommended her this title. Agreed, it seems suggestive of a potential feel-good, teenage, Lindsay Lohan something- or-other. Rather, Frenemy can best be described as a dark and compassionate independent film.

Well acted, the characters, while capable of committing acts of depravity of American Psycho proportions, are relatable. Ultimately, this movie is about an overriding, self- sustaining, predetermined balance of good and evil. There is something to be gained each time I watch this movie.

In the end, I'm left craving a sequel to see what becomes of Mr. Jack.

I must say I really liked that movie. I never watched it expecting to be a comedy thanks god, I watched in my cable TV first then I bought the DVD. The movie basically discuss about good and bad, right and wrong with some guys each of them representing one of the attributes. For instance I can say Jack is the "Evil" , Sweet Stephen is the chooser "the free will image" and the cop some neutral force. The storyline is very good, nice dialog especially, but NO WAY this is a comedy. The end leaves some sort of message that was pretty cool. Just don't buy this movie expecting to see Zach Galifianakis telling you jokes.

Mr. Jack (Matthew Modine) and Sweet Stephen (Callum Blue) travel the streets of L.A. pontificating on various subjects. They go to Bucky (Zach Galifianakis)'s porn shop to buy something special. The first one is free. Philly comes (Paul Adelstein) in to rob the porn store. Police detective Tommy (Adam Baldwin) shoots him in the head and rescues everybody. In his investigation, Tommy meets Norma (Liza Weil). Meanwhile the guys keep traveling.

Everybody is acting crazy. How crazy? Zach may be the least crazy one in the movie. It's all very wacky, random, and tiresome. In the only thing that truly matters, this is not funny. Quite frankly, the movie loses all the drive after it leaves the porn shop and Zach. If it stayed in the shop, I could see some interesting wacky things happening instead of the boring wacky things in this movie. Directed by Gregory Dark and written by Robert Dean Klein, I don't know anything about either guy and I don't see anything here to suggest anything good can be expected. This does try to be profound in the end but it's too little too late.

Plain and simply Awful:

I rented this movie for a $1.07 and feel I've been robed. I don't usually do reviews but took the time to warn you: Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT watch this movie; if you value yourself and your time.

Bad dialogue pointless or almost non existing theme, it's not some sort of new art it's just a really bad movie with actors you may have seen before (agents should be punished literally like physical or standing in a corner for two weeks or something more creative than the movie itself and then fired for getting them these parts). It has nothing to do with being intellectual or understanding anything. It's just a really bad movie maybe good for a seminar on art school of what not to do as a director, writer, producer, camera operator, gaffer, grip etc....

I voted 1 because 0 is not an option. You've been warned...