Shooting Fish
Ranking: ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Director: Stefan Schwartz
Starring: Dan Futterman Stuart Townsend Kate Beckinsale
"Shooting Fish" is a delightful romantic comedy with a strong cast. Dylan (Futterman) and Jez (Townsend) are orphans, the first American and the second British. They grew up in similar circumstances (in orphanages) and with similar desires (their own house, a place to create the home neither had as a child). Dylan, who is dyslexic and relies on Jez to help him jot down addresses and other notes, is "Mr. Personality" and can charm the most hardened executive. Jez, a technological genius, claims to have received a degree in the "Psychology of Electronics," can repair anything electronic, but is as socially inept as the stereotypical Silicon Valley wonk.
While they are both intelligent, even brilliant, neither has found his niche in society. The two, who are as close as brothers, get along famously. Unable to succeed in the real world, they have made a career of confidence games, cleverly bilking unsuspecting and gullible (but always wealthy) individuals and companies. They see themselves as modern-day Robin Hoods, robbing the rich (who don't really need the relatively small amounts they pilfer) for the sake of the poor -- in this case, orphans.
Things start to go awry shortly after their success leads them to hire a temporary secretary/assistant Georgie (Beckinsale). Georgie is a young medical student, betrothed to a wealthy businessman. While Georgie is initially taken in by Dylan and Jez's stories, she begins to doubt their stories. At the same time, she is attracted to both of them -- and both of them, to her.
Between Dylan and Jez's schemes, which grow ever more complex, and Georgia's own financial problems, the plot grows more complicated. The script, written by Stefan Schwartz and Richard Holmes, is witty and treads a fine line between being too clever for its own good and too obvious. As the characters find their way into and out of trouble, their conflicting means begin to coincide in a single end.
The movie is marked by several visual cliches that let the audience know the production crew is enjoying its work. Beckinsale steals the show as the young fiancee torn between her responsibilities, her choices, and her heart. The interplay of the three main characters is utterly entertaining.
Ken Varnum varnum@mich.com (c) Copyright 1998. All Rights Reserved
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