by Thomas M. Pender
It’s an independent film I’d never heard of until I went looking for a rental. A normal-looking neighbor-type guy, a picture of a decent-looking woman, and the name Catfish slashed between them told me nothing about the plot. The description of the film, however, intrigued me immensely.
In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel (“Rel”) Schulman and Henry Joost began to film the activities of Rel’s brother Yaniv (“Nev”). Nev, a professional photographer, had recently struck up a friendship over the internet with a young painter hundreds of miles away. This simple premise of a story ended up turning into a twisted tale of lies, hope, love and insanity that none of them saw coming.
I was immediately interested in the plot, because I myself have been a victim of deceits over the phone and internet. A few, in fact! Watching this film, I should have been angered by what the protagonist was made to go through, but instead, I was rather embarrassed. Seeing myself in his shoes, I all but yelled at the screen, “Don’t believe it, Nev!” and “Run, Nev, run!” Neither Nev Schulman nor I are perfect, but we each embarked on similar oddly-sparked romances with the best of intentions, found ourselves growing increasingly suspicious of our counterparts’ words and actions, and eventually came face-to-face with grim realities.
Aside from my personal connection, the film is a very good modern cautionary tale about how modern technology can be used to cheer and to hurt total strangers. I don’t wish to put too much about the plot in the review, because it really deserves to be seen with no knowledge of where it will lead. I typically shy away from documentaries, as I find them much less entertaining than fictional productions, but this literally has enough intrigue and suspense in it to fill a Hollywood script. The fact that it’s really happening before your eyes should make you relate even more with the protagonist.
Whether you’ve ever or never been suckered by anyone in the name of love, you will find Catfish a jaw-dropping experience. One of the most puzzling elements of the film – the title – isn’t explained until the final frames, and it does pull it all together, so I won’t ruin anything by explaining that, either.
Catfish will either make you glad you never fell for anyone who took you for a ride . . . or, like me, it will make you even more determined to never let it happen again. Either way, it will likely improve your present by making you more aware of how to protect yourself in the future. Not bad for a “fish”!
Rubber Chicken Soup 