Catfish

I remember in the very late 90's discovering the world of Yahoo chatrooms ... talking this way and that way with total strangers, sometimes being myself, sometimes lying through my teeth. Creating new usernames as a female to talk to lesbians every once in a while seemed a fun thing to do as an 18yr old lad, never succeeding to convince any to talk dirty to me. HA! The things we do.

And that is where this movie comes in. Meeting people online ... checking out their profiles and thinking ... "yeah ... not bad", talking more online and getting to know them and developing feelings for this entity, god knows where on the planet, typing their words to you and maybe, just maybe feeling the same way.

And how much of it is true ... ?

This was an intriguing watch, playful and suspenseful and by the end, full of heart that is a far cry from the gripping thriller documentary style movie portrayed in the trailer (which I saw after at one reviewers request) but none the less, I enjoyed the movie for piecing together something many of us have done ... but just not to these extremes. Give it a go ... =]

This movie is kind of a intimate psychological documentary. It has certainly a very small plot, but it is incredibly moving. It lets you enter the privacy of mostly common people committing very common sins like a million other people commit every day. And it shows the emotional impact of it that can change your life. The cinematography and storytelling style is very modern and reminds of creating a video blog. Also the implications of social media in everyday life does certainly play a role in the plot. But I wouldn't say that the movie is too self-reflective or pays too much attention for the online media. The emphasis lies on the real social relationship that is developing between the characters and the lies on which it is built. Very well executed, very sensitive, very touching, very worth watching.

"Catfish" is a difficult film to talk about without spoiling. The sensationalist trailer gives a deliberately one-sided peek at a film which is ultimately defined by its ending. Expectations should probably be mediated, however—"Catfish" isn't going to blow your mind. In fact, the outcome of this social networking mystery is rather straightforward, but no less brilliant for it. This is a film where palpable suspense cedes way to an unconventional and thought- provoking character study. Maybe the best introduction I can offer is that I really liked it.

Arriving in a market practically gorged with tongue-in-cheek faux documentaries, it's initially difficult to take "Catfish" at face value. The story begins innocuously enough; Yaniv "Nev" Schulman has just had his first picture published in the New York Times when a package arrives at his office containing a painted replica of the photo. The artist is a 12 year- old admirer, and her correspondence begets a peculiar Facebook friendship. As Nev becomes involved with her and her family, however, he begins to notice certain inconsistencies with the perfect lives they lead online.

Much of the build-up feels stagey, and surely something is amiss, because either filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman are considerably more talented directors than they portray themselves as, or they are not being entirely forthcoming. The prevalence of the camera during seemingly random moments that become key scenes seems perhaps a bit too fortuitous, and the placement and framing of the shots themselves seem too precisely calculated to have been captured on the fly for this amateur guerrilla venture.

Yet it doesn't matter in the slightest. "Catfish" is about calling our willingness to accept unsubstantiated information into question, and thus encourages a skepticism and natural inquisitiveness towards itself. The entire thing could be fabricated, and its creators have a built-in ace in the hole. Falsifying a non-fiction film about false identity could add a brilliant meta layer to the puzzle.

That being said, I don't believe that Joost and Schulman invented the whole thing. Somebody get these guys a pen and paper if they did. Rather, I tend to identify with the prevailing online rumor that suggests the ending was shot first, with some or most of the first half consisting of retroactive reenactments. But though I question the authenticity of certain moments, whether or not they are genuine seems beside the point—"Catfish" is an effective film.

The foundation of that success lies in its solid technique. The gradual rationing of information and the introduction and unraveling of the central mystery is surprisingly well handled. The plot is obtuse and intense when it needs to be, and the suspense is so potent that some have even been let down that it never becomes an all-out thriller.

But suspense has the tendency to be undervalued in an of itself, and the suspense in "Catfish" is an exceptionally executed, integral part of the ride. The film, on the whole, works not only because of its moments of seizing, visceral tension, but because of the greater message it evokes. In hindsight, scenes like those exploited in the trailer featuring Nev and his buddies arriving at a quiet farm in the dead of night seem downright silly when compared to where they eventually end up.

"Catfish" has been getting a ton of very positive press recently, and it deserves much of the praise it's received. But backlash follows hype like a shadow, and I have a feeling that those swayed into seeing the film who might not have otherwise will enter with unrealistic expectations. It is a fascinating, offbeat experiment, but it still appeals to niche interests. The extent to which we let ourselves believe that the internet is a direct extension of our preceptory senses can be dangerous—But I'll say no more. I don't want to spoil anything.

Most human beings have two eyes. One left eye, and one right eye. Catfish pries open your third eye above the two you were born with. That eye is the eye to sense bulls*** from a mile away. It makes you think about the people you associate with online, and the people you come across with on Facebook, the oh-so popular networking site.

Upon finishing this film, I was unsure of what to think of it. "Real or fake?" was the question that popped in my head. Could this be just another false documentary teaching us a lesson, but using actors to portray realistic people? Or was this an authentic documentary showcasing one person's real life experience on the site, and having his brother and friend film it all? My opinion is that this is reminiscent of a reality show. Some scenes are fiction, but somethings are authentic. I really can't say if this is real or fake. But I assume 70% or less is real.

The plot is one of those like Paranormal Activity where you can't reveal too much or the whole thing is ruined. Basically, Young New York photographer Yaniv Schulman's life is put on film by brother Ariel Schulman and friend Henry Joost. They show his relationship with a supposedly eight year old girl on Facebook named Abby who is a child prodigy when it comes to painting. Yaniv will send pictures to Abby, and is told Abby paints them with remarkable talent.

As time passes, Niv shows extreme interest for Abby's family, including her alleged half-sister Megan, and the mother Angela. Once he uncovers some evidence I won't spoil, he goes out to meet the family. There is when the movie becomes a total enjoyment.

Whether fact or fiction, the film makes you think. It succeeds in making you ponder or contemplate the people you associate with on the web. Being an avid reviewer, a social networker, a Tweeter, a Facebooker, a Youtube personality I wonder who is watching my videos. Of course my personal information is nothing but private unless I have a strict build up with the person I discuss with. I haven't ran into any true problems on the web. I consider myself extremely grateful and lucky for that.

Catfish succeeds in being an entertaining time capsule of what will soon be the once popular social network. Facebook will eventually die out just like Myspace, but we will have this film to look back on. While 2010 had one more movie based on the site called The Social Network, Catfish deals with Facebook and it's people. TSN was all about the creation of the site, and the problems Zuckerberg and his friends ran into. That was a totally different film, and well worthy of the Golden Globe wins. Catfish is a one of a kind species that shouldn't be thrown back into the water.

Starring: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman, Yaniv Schulman. Directed by: Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost.

It's authenticity will remain in question. And if it is indeed real, the motivation of the filmmakers themselves are unclear.

But there is a truth in Catfish that reflects a lot about ourselves. For most, the Internet is a place to merely extend their social life. But for some, it could be the only place where they could find it. We are called to be mindful of these people. This is a movie for our time. 4/5 Stars

Note: The trailer is indeed misleading, which may have caused much disappointment to viewers with a specific expectation. To those who has not seen the trailer and desire to watch the movie, avoid the trailer.