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Video Review |
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Video Review |
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Last Updated 10/09/03
Email: robitai@our-town.com
Marilyn
Robitaille
“Shooting Fish”
If you’re in the mood for something light, check out “Shooting Fish.” (It’s a metaphoric title; this isn’t a safari action adventure.) This 1997 British-made film stars two zany actors whose on-screen energy enlivens what would otherwise be a conventional romantic comedy. Dan Futterman (playing Dylan) and Stuart Townsend (playing his friend Jez) may not be as well known as Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, but they hold their own as two con artists who live by their wits and the love of a woman (Kate Beckinsale).
The film opens with a clever scene that sets Dylan’s and Jez’s background as orphans. Dylan, the entrepreneur and schemer, knows how to turn a buck, even at an early age. Jez, the consummate inventor, has the brains to unravel even the most perplexing puzzle. As children they dream of having a real home, a mansion in the country. As adults they perfect the plan and concoct a robin hood plan to dupe the rich for cold, hard cash. After all, two grown orphans want a mansion to call their own.
In the process, the two meet loveable Georgie (Kate Beckinsale), who unwittingly falls into a position as co-conspirator on one of their cons to sell a voice-recognition computer. It’s not long before she complicates Dylan’s and Jez’s friendship and starts to ask difficult questions about the real nature of their dealings.
Ultimately, the three become involved in some messy business, tensions run high about who’s in love with whom, and their conniving ways get the best of them. The suspense keeps the story moving, and the characters’ earn our sympathy. As is the case in most romantic comedies, you hope for the best and know that the rules call for everyone to live happily ever after.
Clever scenery, especially the staging of Dylan and Jez’s home inside a water reservoir, gives the film a fanciful tone. Jez’s passion for gadgetry meshes perfectly with Dylan’s sense of style, and the results produce a remarkable place where Disney meets the Sharper Image.
With its good chemistry among the actors, the movie celebrates the effervescent vibrancy of youth. Even when disaster strikes, those indomitable spirits have faith that dreams really do come true. It’s not a bad place to visit if you have an hour and a half and the desire to escape.
Available in video and DVD
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