Sunday, June 12, 2011

1579 - Catfish

I know that there's some question over whether or not this film is a hoax or not.  Whether it is or not doesn't change what I have to say about it...
So background, it's essentially a documentary about a guy who meets an amazing girl on Facebook but then comes to discover that all may not be what it seems.  It's an intriguing subject, and it's done quite well for the filmmakers.  And everything else in this review is going to be a SPOILER, so if you haven't seen it, stop reading here, and know that I recommend it.
I have to say that what most impresses me with the film is what happens after "the lie" is confronted.  It goes in a direction that is not at all expected, and it made the film reach a whole different level that was quite touching, even if it's sad and just a bit pathetic.  Part of the marketing campaign is that this is the "real Facebook film", and in a lot of ways it is - The Social Network was about the inventors of Facebook, and this is about it's users (as much as it can be realizing that you can't lump millions (billions?) of people into a single category. 
It's entertaining, smart, and dare I say a bit touching.  If it's a fake it's a damn fine one, and it's still an interesting and clever film.  If you're at all involved in social networking this is a film you should probably check out - fictional or not, these things happen, probably more often than you realize.
Catfish  Catfish [Blu-ray]

No comments: