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connielane at 06:15am on 20/09/2010 under movies
connielane at 06:15am on 20/09/2010 under moviesI wish the studio were marketing this film differently, and I'm frankly surprised that even critics are lumping this film with Films You Just Don't Spoil (like The Sixth Sense - really?!). If you have spent any significant amount of time on the internet, you will see the so-called "twist" coming a mile away, even though the film's subject is apparently completely taken in. I find the secrecy kind of insulting, to be honest, and so I'm going to do what the filmmakers and the studio probably don't want me to do, which is to give away their big secret, right here above the LJ-cut, but in a way that only means something to people who would already have guessed what the filmmakers and the studio seem to think is a big twist. And I can do it in one word: MSSCRIBE
If that name means anything to you, the twist in this film is not a twist at all, but an inevitability. If that name means nothing to you, I've obviously spoiled nothing for you either. But please don't think that by "spoiling" this, I am saying you shouldn't go see it. Because this movie should definitely be seen, if it's playing near you. I just think it should be seen on its own, actual terms, and not on this made-up "OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SHOCKING REVEAL" crap. Because seriously? If it's news to you that people might not be what they present themselves as on the internet, you are obviously new and need to LURK MOAR.
Catfish
By the way, this is a documentary, and while there are loads of people who think it's fake, I personally believe that it happened for real, because ... well, Msscribe, yanno? I've seen things like this before. Some of the scenes do look staged, but that doesn't mean they're fake. It's not hard to imagine that there would be things they needed to recreate due to technical difficulties or things the camera happened to miss. That doesn't mean it didn't really happen.
The subject of the story is Nev Schulman, a New York photographer specializing in dance photography who starts up a correspondence with a young girl named Abby, who does a really amazing painting from one of his photographs. He gets to know her mother, Angela, on Facebook, and eventually becomes acquainted with (and starts to fall in love with) Angela's beautiful older daughter Megan. At this point, I have to wonder how much time Nev has spent on the internet. I mean, obviously it's not a requirement to be fandom-proficient and "go Nev!" for having an actual life and therefore not being aware of the kind of chicanery people will pull on the internet, but it might have saved him a lot of time and embarrassment to have been a little more net-savvy. In his defense, though, there are ... certain things that would lend authenticity to what he is led to believe, even though a more cynical mind would see through them.
Things start looking fishy (*rimshot*) when a song Megan supposedly wrote and recorded for Nev turns up on YouTube, sung by someone else. Nev and his brother and friend also notice that the voice in the YouTube video sounds exactly like the voice in Megan's recording (which is supposed to be of herself). So they do some digging and find inconsistencies in what Angela and Megan and Abby have told him. On their way to an event that Nev is taking photos for, they take a side trip to Michigan to see Angela and Megan and Abby. And here's where the so-called twist comes in. Again, I won't spoil it for anyone who actually might be surprised by this.
The twist, however, is not the real juice of the movie. It's the aftermath of the confrontation. And oh yes, there is a confrontation. But it's not what you might think. You really cannot help feeling bad for everyone involved. The whole situation is more sad than anything else, and unlike the Msscribe affair, there is no malice intended by the guilty party.
In any case, this is quite a good cautionary tale about internet relationships. And while most of you reading this might not be surprised by the turn of events, I suppose a lot of people might be. It's certainly worth checking out, if you get a chance. I'd kind of love to see this as a double feature with The Social Network, since both films deal with the world of Facebook in different ways.
Also, here's a little equation for you: Catfish + The Ox-Bow Incident = The Msscribe Affair. That is all. :)
If that name means anything to you, the twist in this film is not a twist at all, but an inevitability. If that name means nothing to you, I've obviously spoiled nothing for you either. But please don't think that by "spoiling" this, I am saying you shouldn't go see it. Because this movie should definitely be seen, if it's playing near you. I just think it should be seen on its own, actual terms, and not on this made-up "OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SHOCKING REVEAL" crap. Because seriously? If it's news to you that people might not be what they present themselves as on the internet, you are obviously new and need to LURK MOAR.
Catfish
By the way, this is a documentary, and while there are loads of people who think it's fake, I personally believe that it happened for real, because ... well, Msscribe, yanno? I've seen things like this before. Some of the scenes do look staged, but that doesn't mean they're fake. It's not hard to imagine that there would be things they needed to recreate due to technical difficulties or things the camera happened to miss. That doesn't mean it didn't really happen.
The subject of the story is Nev Schulman, a New York photographer specializing in dance photography who starts up a correspondence with a young girl named Abby, who does a really amazing painting from one of his photographs. He gets to know her mother, Angela, on Facebook, and eventually becomes acquainted with (and starts to fall in love with) Angela's beautiful older daughter Megan. At this point, I have to wonder how much time Nev has spent on the internet. I mean, obviously it's not a requirement to be fandom-proficient and "go Nev!" for having an actual life and therefore not being aware of the kind of chicanery people will pull on the internet, but it might have saved him a lot of time and embarrassment to have been a little more net-savvy. In his defense, though, there are ... certain things that would lend authenticity to what he is led to believe, even though a more cynical mind would see through them.
Things start looking fishy (*rimshot*) when a song Megan supposedly wrote and recorded for Nev turns up on YouTube, sung by someone else. Nev and his brother and friend also notice that the voice in the YouTube video sounds exactly like the voice in Megan's recording (which is supposed to be of herself). So they do some digging and find inconsistencies in what Angela and Megan and Abby have told him. On their way to an event that Nev is taking photos for, they take a side trip to Michigan to see Angela and Megan and Abby. And here's where the so-called twist comes in. Again, I won't spoil it for anyone who actually might be surprised by this.
The twist, however, is not the real juice of the movie. It's the aftermath of the confrontation. And oh yes, there is a confrontation. But it's not what you might think. You really cannot help feeling bad for everyone involved. The whole situation is more sad than anything else, and unlike the Msscribe affair, there is no malice intended by the guilty party.
In any case, this is quite a good cautionary tale about internet relationships. And while most of you reading this might not be surprised by the turn of events, I suppose a lot of people might be. It's certainly worth checking out, if you get a chance. I'd kind of love to see this as a double feature with The Social Network, since both films deal with the world of Facebook in different ways.
Also, here's a little equation for you: Catfish + The Ox-Bow Incident = The Msscribe Affair. That is all. :)