| The
Review: |
"Dream With the Fishes" is the
type of pretentious independent muck that thinks its quirkiness
is enough to make up for its inability to inspire interest
in itself. Here is a movie where not once did I find myself
captivated- or even remotely intrigued- by the bizarre nature
of the lives of characters who have almost no appeal whatsoever.
The film's writer and director, then-newcomer Finn Taylor,
isn't exactly one of my favorite filmmakers: his up-and-coming
talent shows promise in places, but is sorely lacking in others,
and his 2002 entry, "Cherish," was a prime example of that.
But at least that newer film had some pull to it; "Fishes"
doesn't even appear to be trying. ***
The entire movie is a series of
episodic events revolving around the unpredictable nature
of Nick (Brad Hunt), a terminally ill man who wants to spend
his last few weeks on God's earth living out his fantasies
and fulfilling his dreams. Along for the ride is his neighbor,
Terry (David Arquette), a voyeuristic shut-in who has no social
life and no drive to look for one, either; when he attempts
to commit suicide early in the film, Nick prevents him from
doing so, and in a series of cut-and-paste events, they become
buddies of a sort. This will lead to the eventuall free-wheeling
nature of the script when they make their rounds to places
of the past, Nick confronting old memories before it is too
late, Terry coming to terms with himself and his inability
to interact with others. All that and nude bowling, too. ***
A critics' gem during its brief
theatrical run in 1997, "Dream With the Fishes" makes various
leaps and bounds for something vast and deeply moving, trying
ever-so-forcefully to shake us up inside. I just didn't buy
into it. The very idea of someone robbing a bank in the nude
because he played a joke on his friend by making him think
he won the lottery isn't funny, nor is it touching; it's a
basis for a movie about mental health. I found it rather off-putting
that mere hours after Nick is married in his hospital bed
to his longtime sweetheart Liz (Kathryn Erbe), Terry and Liz
can be seen in the early throes of passion. These are not
endearing characters; whether or not the filmmakers wanted
them to be is completely lost to me. Throughout the film,
however, I got the notion that Taylor wants us to relate to
them on some level of higher meaning, but I found their actions
to be altogether self-centered and ludicrously disjointed.
He never really gives us a chance to get involved in their
plight: before we have barely begun to take an interest, he
whisks us away on another lopsided, haphazard adventure that
takes us right back to where we started. ***
Not that the film doesn't have
a few shreds of entertainment value to offer us, though. The
performances from Hunt, Arquette, and Erbe ultimately outshine
their efforts to make us care for the roles they inhabit;
Arquette is especially good here, and reveals his versatility
as an actor in light of more recent ventures like "See Spot
Run." A long-unseen Cathy Moriarty makes an appearance as
Nick's vivacious ex-dancer aunt, and she steals every scene
she's in. The actors are surrounded by a visual style that
evokes a gritty grandeur of which the script is not worthy.
But these small attributes are mere flotsam in Taylor's unending
sea of boring characters and even less-appealing situations.
"Dream With the Fishes" may be the stuff of dreams for some,
but for me it was closer to a garish nightmare.
|
| Image
and Sound |
The abstract visual nature of "Dream
With the Fishes" provides many possibilities for flaws on
this DVD transfer; fortunately, the picture looks very good.
Measured in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the image is heavily-laden
with film grain and boasts an overly-dark appearance. As a
result, contrast looks terrific, with good shadow delineation
and rich, solid blacks. Colors are nicely saturated and accurate
throughout, with admirable textures. Edges, however, are a
bit soft in places, most likely the result of stylistic intentions;
there are a few noticeable enhancement halos visible. Overall,
a semi-solid effort. ***
The sound is a bit disappointing,
though. Mastered in Dolby 2.0 Surround, there's not a great
deal to marvel over here, although the music does have some
ambient flow to it, and the dialogue sounds natural for the
most part. There are one or two moments where imaging is present;
other than that, this remains a bit flat.
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