Rent Little Fish (2005)

Little Fish - Little Fish review by CP Customer

When you consider the material that Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving have worked with in their careers, it is difficult to imagine that this film was a stretch for them artistically.

Yet it's great to see actors that are willing to make themselves undesirable in front of the camera, to get gritty and real and raw for the sake of telling a story.

Weaving plays a heroin addict, turned to a life of drug abuse after his pro-football career was tragically cut short. Blanchett plays a video store clerk, who could be so much more, but can't seem to get her life on track after a series of bad mistakes and bad relationships with anyone but the right guy.

Unfortunately, Little Fish is not a good story. In fact, it made me wonder why much of Australian cinema (think Somersault, for instance) seems to be so gloomy and slow paced. It's not that it has nothing to say; it's just that it takes so long not saying it.

Until the final third, when it finally boots things up a couple of gears, this is so slow and lumbering.

Raw and depressing - Little Fish review by CP Customer

Tracy is an ex-junkie trying to make more of a success of her life by setting up her own business. Her ex-boyfriend turns up after a 4 year absence claiming to have a new career in finance. Throw in her Mum's ex, Lionel, who used to be a top rugby player, Lionel's crime boss boyfriend and brother Ray who lost a leg in a car crash, and we have the makings of a tangled mess of human life. Hugo Weaving acts his socks off as faded star turned heroin addict. The man is a legend, showing true versatility and the ability to turn any part into gold. Blanchett is also good as Tracy. Unfortunately the film is slow and boring for the first half and it would be easy to switch off. It does pick up towards the end but kind of leaves you thinking that there is no point to life for some people.