thomas4cinema

A much hyped film (documentary? Pseudo-documentary? Mockumentary? Whatever… but it seems to be clear that this is a work of fiction) that made its ways through the festivals, but seems to have lost some steam since it was actually released. The story of just a guy who meets a family on Facebook, starts some kind of relationship with one of the girls and receives the artwork of a little girl, plays with the question of reality versus fiction a bit, but mainly lives off the suspense on how the film ploty is about to evolve. Will they meet, are these Facebook characters real, is he about to discover a big scam?
Everyday technology creates an immediate bond, because we know what it’s like to make friends on Facebook, to look for people’s addresses on Google Earth or Street View, what the odd moment is like when you are actually talking or even meeting with a person that you built up a friendship only through written words before. Actually, I expected the film to turn into something dramatic, some form of Blair Witch twist. I believe that everybody can fill in his own expectations and preferences, but what happens when the film reaches its final chapter? Some people would get disappointed, because the perceived tension evaporates? Or is this anti-climax something you would savor? Had the film gone the way of a decent Manson Family or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I would have been quite happy. Some psychopaths, killings entrapments… what you get is so terribly disappointing. From about minute 60, the whole affair is a terrible drag, clearly not developing anymore and having lost all its narrative elements of the first part. I wished to the very last minute that they fooled me and some additional change of directions would finally get me some place more interesting… but no.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/catfish/