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Movie Review: THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH (1999)
A film designed for octogenarians of all ages
Lynn Redgrave referees a wrestling match between James Earl Jones and an invisible demon.
THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH (1999) Charles Burnett. Writer: Anthony C. Winkler / Cinematographers: John Ndiaga Demps & Rick Robinson (1.85:1) / Editor: Nancy Richardson / Design: Nina Ruscio / Music: Laura Karpman / Cast: James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, Margot Kidder / Distributor: Kino Lorber / Rated / 108 mins.
In the press notes for Killer of Sheep, Charles Burnett reflected on what he looks for when making a movie: “I have no interest in cars banging into each other…most of the films I like to do aren’t very commercial. They’re not high concept… They’re character-driven and theme-driven. I mean, I’m not trying to be sophisticated, but my movies are not designed for 18-year-olds.”
Designed for octogenarians of all ages, Burnett's heretofore unreleased The Annihilation of Fish, playing this weekend at the Digital Gym, is as close to commercial as Burnett gets. A trio of delusional San Franciscans, each thinking the other two are the real crazies, occupy rooms in a boarding house. The acting is as superb, as one might expect from a film starring James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, and Margot Kidder. But what separates this from the usual strain of geezer porn one expects from a movie of this kind? Not enough.
Fish (Jones) has been wrestling with a personal demon for over a decade. And not the interior sort that might play out behind the eyes. He's physically going two-out-of-three falls in his living room with an invisible demon. Poinsettia (Lynn Redgrave) also has more than her fair share of demons with whom she’s become intimate, starting with demon rum. And who is that invisible fella seated next to her during a performance of Madame Butterfly? Why, none other than the opera’s composer, Giacomo Puccini. But when it comes to going full mental patient, Poinsettia, thinking it’s a sing-along, warbles loud enough to bring down the rafters. Playing third party to the couple’s delirium is their enabling landlady, Mrs. Muldroone (Margot Kidder), who keeps guard over her last name, lest anyone forget it ends in “e.” It isn’t until the three commit to buy into one another's insanity that a trust begins to form.
Video:
Trailer: The Annihilation of Fish
With all due respect to Mr. Burnett, were it not for the stars, this would have been a mighty tough row to hoe. The use of "Jamaican Farewell" to underscore images of Fish’s birthplace is tantamount to Scorsese backing a mob hit with "That's Amore." It's too easy, too familiar. One can’t film what isn’t there: Poinsettia hits the ground running in love; four reels later, Fish is a “Jamaican bastard.”
For screenwriter Anthony C. Winkler, repetition is the key to narrative enlightenment.The quantity of imperceptible demons Fish must thwart almost surpasses the number of times Poinsettia passes out drunk in the hallway while awaiting Galahad's arrival. But it’s when no one notices the real gunshots fired at imaginary demons that credulity starts to get strained. Nothing could stop me from seeing a “new” film by Charles Burnett, but I'm here to tell you not to enter the auditorium with high hopes. **
Here's something you might be interested in.
Movie Review: THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH (1999)
A film designed for octogenarians of all ages
Movie Review: THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH (1999)
A film designed for octogenarians of all ages
Lynn Redgrave referees a wrestling match between James Earl Jones and an invisible demon.
THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH (1999) Charles Burnett. Writer: Anthony C. Winkler / Cinematographers: John Ndiaga Demps & Rick Robinson (1.85:1) / Editor: Nancy Richardson / Design: Nina Ruscio / Music: Laura Karpman / Cast: James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, Margot Kidder / Distributor: Kino Lorber / Rated / 108 mins.
In the press notes for Killer of Sheep, Charles Burnett reflected on what he looks for when making a movie: “I have no interest in cars banging into each other…most of the films I like to do aren’t very commercial. They’re not high concept… They’re character-driven and theme-driven. I mean, I’m not trying to be sophisticated, but my movies are not designed for 18-year-olds.”
Designed for octogenarians of all ages, Burnett's heretofore unreleased The Annihilation of Fish, playing this weekend at the Digital Gym, is as close to commercial as Burnett gets. A trio of delusional San Franciscans, each thinking the other two are the real crazies, occupy rooms in a boarding house. The acting is as superb, as one might expect from a film starring James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, and Margot Kidder. But what separates this from the usual strain of geezer porn one expects from a movie of this kind? Not enough.
Fish (Jones) has been wrestling with a personal demon for over a decade. And not the interior sort that might play out behind the eyes. He's physically going two-out-of-three falls in his living room with an invisible demon. Poinsettia (Lynn Redgrave) also has more than her fair share of demons with whom she’s become intimate, starting with demon rum. And who is that invisible fella seated next to her during a performance of Madame Butterfly? Why, none other than the opera’s composer, Giacomo Puccini. But when it comes to going full mental patient, Poinsettia, thinking it’s a sing-along, warbles loud enough to bring down the rafters. Playing third party to the couple’s delirium is their enabling landlady, Mrs. Muldroone (Margot Kidder), who keeps guard over her last name, lest anyone forget it ends in “e.” It isn’t until the three commit to buy into one another's insanity that a trust begins to form.
Video:
Trailer: The Annihilation of Fish
With all due respect to Mr. Burnett, were it not for the stars, this would have been a mighty tough row to hoe. The use of "Jamaican Farewell" to underscore images of Fish’s birthplace is tantamount to Scorsese backing a mob hit with "That's Amore." It's too easy, too familiar. One can’t film what isn’t there: Poinsettia hits the ground running in love; four reels later, Fish is a “Jamaican bastard.”
For screenwriter Anthony C. Winkler, repetition is the key to narrative enlightenment.The quantity of imperceptible demons Fish must thwart almost surpasses the number of times Poinsettia passes out drunk in the hallway while awaiting Galahad's arrival. But it’s when no one notices the real gunshots fired at imaginary demons that credulity starts to get strained. Nothing could stop me from seeing a “new” film by Charles Burnett, but I'm here to tell you not to enter the auditorium with high hopes. **