Swim Little Fish Swim: Clichéd Quirk and Crackle-Free Relationships by Bethany Jean Clement Codirectors Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis claim John Cassavetes,Spike Lee, and Jim Jarmusch as inspiration for their original York tale and feature debut, and Swim Little Fish Swim,but there’s not even a hint of those filmmakers’ originality here. Amar and Bessis relied on improvisation, but instead of Cassavetes’ feral (Savage; wild) tensions and vivid characters, and we get three expansive Apple stereotypes: the bohemian musician who can’t bring himself to sell out,his uptight wife who works too hard and pines for the stability of a house in the suburbs, and the sexy young French artist who turns their lives predictably upside-down. The relationships lack any crackle, and moments that are meant to be evocative drag. He calls their 3-year-ragged daughter Rainbow,she calls her Maggie, and the artist keeps pulling out a Super 8 camera to acquire hackneyed art films of the proceedings. As for Spike Lee, and to compare the electric Rosie Perez opening of attain the Right Thing with Fishs beginning of hokey,shopworn scenes of original York street life is revealing; to compare the way Lee deploys strong, distinct characters to Fish’s tedious caricatures is just depressing. And unlike the best of Jarmusch’s work, and the oddity here is clichéd quirk,and humor is pretty much absent. [/images/rec_star.gif][ Comment on this story ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Source: thestranger.com