Little Fish

What are we if not our memories. The ending spun me around.

I was so sad the day I met ya... I can't remember why. What if COVID doesn't kill you, but either slowly or instantly wiped your memory away? Ahh, a beautiful tragedy, a tragic modern Romeo and Juliet. Probably one of the saddest movies this year, Little Fish told a couple trying to hold on to each other with feelings in a world where memories are getting eaten away. Logically, as a way to test memories, you ask another person about a memory or fact that both of you shared. The movie was a slow and painful descent to the inevitable. It's depressing to see such breathtaking and beautiful memories that the couple shared being crushed into nothingness by the harsh reality. As I said, I loved the scenes where the couple talked about how they got together. The little fish scene was definitely the best. It's creative and unique to the couple. However, the most beautiful part was also the most cruel part. Also, the ending just made all the depression before worse. Overall, a beautiful juxtaposition of joy and sadness. 9/10.

This film start with a woman talking with a man at the beach, and they sleep together scene! As turnout, this film is about a wife "Emma" need to cope with the memory lost disease suffering by her husband "Jude"! Entire film full of boring conversation, and annoying overuse scene! Such as, overuse of the walking scene, overuse of the arguing scene, overuse of the calling names scene, overuse of the running scene, overuse of the eating scene, overuse of the drinking scene, overuse of the partying scene, overuse of the song playing at the background scene, overuse of the changing camera angle scene, overuse of the kissing scene, overuse of the holding hand scene, overuse of the narration scene, overuse of the taking photo scene, overuse of the writing scene, overuse of the playing music instrument scene, overuse of the staring scene, overuse of the talking on the phone scene, overuse of the flashbacks scene, overuse of the smoking scene, and overuse of the sleeping scene! Make the film unwatchable! At the end, Jude forgetting Emma, and left her! That's it! Completely wasting time to watch!

The build up is a bit slow, but the ending is powerful. I find the story engaging, and it's well worth watching.

Wow. Not sure how many films I've reviewed, but it's not that many, so when I do write a review, you can trust that it's touched me and it's well worth a view. It was so beautiful. The pure love made me feel so warm and made me smile so much, and yet it was utterly heartbreaking. It made me laugh and made me cry. There are very few films that can bring out all my emotions while watching them, but this one did. Give it a go. A very thought provoking, well written, well directed and most certainly well acted film. I believed it, totally.

Greetings again from the darkness. In another time, it would be expected to label director Chad Hartigan's film as a science fiction romance. However, we aren't in another time - no matter how much we might wish we were. The story revolves around a global pandemic that is working its way ... unseen ... through society. Drug companies are frantically testing possible cures, while medical personnel are treating those afflicted as best they can. Sound a bit too familiar? Lest you judge too harshly as a quick cash-in, you should know the film was wrapped prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, so call it serendipity or pure luck, but the timing is impeccable. It's called "NIA", an abbreviation for Neuro-Inflammatory Affliction. Those who get the virus lose their memories. Some experience a slow drop in their ability to recall, while it hits others like a quick slap. Newlyweds Emma (Olivia Cooke, SOUND OF METAL, THOROUGHBREDS) and Jude (Jack O'Connell, UNBROKEN, 2014) are our conduits to this world of fear, anxiety, and love. We experience their courtship through flashbacks, as the film is bookended by an Oceanside scene which makes no sense to us the first time, but certainly does at the end. Mattson Tomlin adapted the screenplay from Aja Gabel's short story, and is also credited with the screenplay for the upcoming Matt Reeves movie THE BATMAN, starring Robert Pattinson. It's very well written and the two leads perform admirably. Ms. Cooke, in her native British accent, continues to shine in both her performances and choice of projects. Montages and flashbacks are used so that we have a feel for this relationship. Emma and Jude are the kind of couple who have an engagement fish, instead of a ring. They are both 'low-talkers', so you'll need to be tuned in, but the concern over the virus looms heavy over every character ... even memory tattoos are big business. Other excellent movies dealing with memory include ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004) and MEMENTO (2000), though Mr. Hartigan's movies is more similar in tone to the former than the latter. This is a romance with lots of hugging and tight holds. Emma asks, "How do you build a future when you keep having to rebuild the past?" We know that memories evolve and fade and change, but this NIA virus has us questioning if love is simply a bond held together by shared memories - and if the memories are gone, is the love gone as well? The movie is quite a downer to watch, and will very probably tug hard on your heartstrings; yet it's very well made and all too topical. Please excuse me if I refrain from using the science fiction label. In Theaters and On Demand on February 5, 2021

This film was originally written as a short story by Aja Gabel, and writer Mattson Tomlin - who's main experience is writing short films, extended this one to a long dragged out 101 minutes of frustrating back and forth convoluted timelines and lackluster jumbled narrative. It's should've stayed as a short film. There was just too much mushy filler for the little substance this story had to offer. It needed much more guts and finesse, because by the end, you're left unsatisfied and depressed from the story - and the time you invested watching it. You can literally fast-forward many of the scenes, and not miss a thing. The performances were great, especially the adorable Olivia Cooke, but I struggled understanding some of her narrating with her deep English accent. The narrating wasn't necessary, because you'll still get lost in some of the timelines. Better directing by Chad Hartigan "may" have saved this film from its many flaws and annoyances, and/or editing out at least 30 mins. It's a generous 6/10 from me, mainly for the performances and the decent score and cinematography.

I thought this movie had great potential. What an interesting idea....a pandemic illness where people slowly lose their memories. But...what happened? It was dull, jumbled, choppy, totally UNrealistic, and frankly....just boring. This movie tries way too hard to pull at your heartstrings. I think that's the whole point of it. Total manipulation, but it doesn't work. Because you're not feeling it...not feeling ANYTHING (except depressing tediousness). Where are the rest of civilization in this movie? What's going on in THE WORLD? Why is it just this insular couple and (once in a while) their two boring friends? Where is EVERYONE ELSE??? Where is the TV??? Where are the cell phones and computers? This can't be current times, can it? How can this couple afford this giant place they live in when they barely seem to work? Is showing a dog being euthanized really necessary to the (so-called) plot? And what about the virus? Not much is said about it, at all. How is it transmitted? Why aren't people wearing masks if it's air-borne (we all know about that now, don't we)? Why is there no talk of a vaccination being worked on? Where's all the "info"? Why are people still driving if they're losing their memories? Wouldn't there be tons of accidents? I don't feel this movie was written by an experienced writer. So many things are left unsaid. It doesn't ring true. And why is there ZERO humor, at all? Why is it total downer drama every single second? That's not exactly how real life is, no matter what. Also, I did not feel a drop of chemistry between the two stars. Not one. The ending? Lazy! I guess it's obvious I do NOT recommend this movie. I feel like I just wasted my time!

This non linear romantic sci fi drama is about a gradual memory losing pandemic called Neuro Inflammatory Affliction (NIA). The story revolves around a newly wedded couple Emma, a caring veterinary doctor and Jude, a previously musician turned into a photographer. While the close loved ones are losing their precious memories how will this lovely couple manage to cope with the impending doom? The wonderful title resembles many meanings including the cute proposal took place standing near a fish tank in a pet shop having little fish with no clues around as in dementia. Hence the little fish tattoos on their ankles. Sounds romantic huh! Yeah the chemistry and the performance is ground breaking and natural! Cinematography is stunning! Movie is thought provoking, emotion pouring, highly inspirational. DO NOT MISS THIS masterpiece unless you are really sensitive (since this is little depressing subject matter)! Movie emphasizes that the very real world around us is actually a creation of our own mind with memories! What are we without memories? This movie surely will echo in our hearts for years to come!

Here's why this movie sucks: * Needless dog euthanasia seen 15 minutes -in. Too slow. Tries to cover-up slowness with slow atmospheric music. * It is a pandemic movie, but not a quarantine movie. It is known masks and social distancing work, yet no one wears masks, social distances or stays home. They go to a bunch of crowded or tight public places, with contagious people, and they never take any efforts to help themselves, while complaining about how unsafe they are the whole movie. This film is only visually redeemable if you find the leads attractive. I love Jack O'Connell, but his American accent is atrocious. Too slow, like he thinks Americans are "slow." Bad mix of southern and eastern dialects. They should always let him do his English accent.