Everyone has had the experience of becoming acquainted with another person on Facebook, from creepy strangers expanding their friend lists to the more common introduction made by a mutual friend.
The makers of the film "Catfish" bring the audience into this familiar world, exploring the consequences and meaning behind what is seen as a daily reality. A documentary that earned buzz at the Sundance Film Festival, "Catfish" is a perfect complement to "The Social Network," the widely anticipated, soon−to−be−released film that delves into the origins of Facebook.
"Catfish," against the backdrop of the controversy behind "The Social Network," provides a touching, funny and unsettling look at the reality of humanity that social networking often masks.
The film begins in 2007, with New York−based filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman documenting Schulman's professional photographer brother, Yaniv "Nev" Schulman, and his online relationship with a charming Michigan family.
Nev receives a painting of one of his published photographs from Abby Pierce, an 8−year−old girl living in Michigan. He then proceeds to develop a casual correspondence with the girl; he sends Abby his pictures, and she responds with canvases of his work. It's through Facebook that Nev becomes acquainted with Abby's family: Her mother, Angela, her attractive older sister, Meg, and her older brother, Alex.
Abby's family is highly appreciative of Nev's encouragement of the girl's artwork, and Meg seems to take a romantic interest in him. They send each other flirty wall posts and suggestive texts and even have a couple of phone conversations.
But there are inconsistencies, and when Nev and his filmmaker comrades ultimately have an opportunity to visit Michigan, they do so unannounced. The final third of the film grips the audience in the kind of way where one cannot look away from an impending train wreck.
Still, "Catfish" manages to stay profoundly human and leaves audiences with a unique feeling to mull over for hours on end.
And the film is funny. The filmmakers' sense of humor is boyish, quick and playful. There is something inherently hilarious in the thrill of going on a spontaneous adventure to expose the truth about an 8−year−old's family or about a 24−year−old male trying his hand at "sexting."
Ultimately, the film's tone reflects the attitude of the Internet generation. Everything is fair game if it's on social−networking websites, and nothing is too serious for a witty comment.
Although Schulman and Joost are relatively amateur filmmakers, "Catfish" stylistically stands out.
Most of the documentary is filmed with hand−held or hidden cameras, a technique that encourages the idea of authenticity and should not come as new to audiences. What is unique in "Catfish," though, is the filmmakers' use of Facebook photo−tagging, Google Maps and Facebook profile "stalking" to visually illustrate their world. The film opens with a blur of pixels that manifest into a coherent image; it continues with this trend throughout the movie, helping to mix film and Internet imagery.
In all, "Catfish" explores the age−old theme of deception, only this time with the disguise of Facebook.
Perhaps it is easy to walk away with the oft−heard message: "You can't trust anyone on the Internet." But, while taking the audience on a search for truth, the filmmakers weave a story of their own. The tale questions reality in a world where everything is public and documented.
"Catfish" is an experiment worth seeing. It is a standout film that speaks to the times in which we live, making viewers question their own relationships and networks.
