Review: Catfish

Synopsis: In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel's brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, Catfish is a riveting story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue. Filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost document a story involving Ariel's brother, Nev, a 24-year-old New York-based photographer, and Abby, from rural Michigan who contacts Nev via Facebook, asking for permission to make a painting from one of his photographs. Source

Plot: The story begins as Nev Schulman with his brother, Ariel Schulman and friend, Henry Joost. Nev is an amateur photographer, who has recently been receiving pictures from a little girl named Abby, who lives in Michigan. Abby paints Nev's photos, which begins an online friendship with the two corresponding people. Soon enough, Nev reaches Facebook with Abby and her family. He then meets Abby's sister, Megan. Nev begins to fall for Megan, and soon, everything becomes spiraling down. While I watched this documentary with my sister, it was interesting. It wasn't an all too surprising ending, but it was good enough for this speculated 'real' time documentary, which is claimed by Ariel Schulman to be "completely real." This movie didn't seem all too interesting at first, but it got quite a good amount of reviews. I was skeptical as I watched this relationship blossom into something much different. The ending wasn't very surprising, but I did enjoy the movie because of the naivety that we see into today's cyber-society.

Characters:
Nev - Oh I felt so bad for this man... Falling in love, being deceived along the way. Everything begins to just spiral down for this guy. He was the main center of attention, and I did enjoy his character. He did very well in the documentary, and I was glad they followed him around because he does personify the misled trust and naivety.
Ariel and Henry - Both of these characters weren't really mentioned, but they did play an important role during Nev's time on this film. Ariel is the one that suggests (SPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERS) to Nev that he visits Megan in Michigan. Henry, as well, is a pusher of the film. Honestly, without them, Nev probably wouldn't have done what he did.
Abby and Megan - Both mysterious girls. Abby isn't as hidden and quieted as Megan. Abby didn't play as big as a role as I thought she would've, but when she was on screen, she was the great finisher of the mystery. Megan is mysterious; that's all I can really say without spoiling the movie for everyone.

Poster: I do enjoy the promotional poster because that's honestly what drove me to rent the movie in the first place! You get to see a snippet of both Nev and Megan, which gives a little mystery to me, honestly, because I see the Facebook friend request thing (Confirm or Ignore) and also the sentence in between, "Think before you click." That is the whole slogan of this movie.

Overall Rating: This movie receives 3/4, simply because of the unique aspects of it balances out the somewhat cliche and predictable storyline that came with it. For a movie that was suspected as 'actual events,' it was a great watch. I recommend it for those who like documentaries or open-minded movie watchers, but if you're a specific genre watcher, I'd be iffy about buying this. Rent it!

Inked with Brilliance and Love,
Sara