I'll have a Catfish, to go...

As a long-standing member of LoveFilm, I seem to be experiencing some kind of Pavlovian conditioning whenever the distinctive sound of the DVD slapping onto the doormat reaches my ears: "Aha! The film fairy has been!". As I run to the front door and tear open the envelope, my heart either a) sinks (see Eat, Pray, Love post), b) does a Larry David "meh", or c) jumps for joy when I realise the film I'm holding is the one I've been waiting for. Such was the case when Catfish landed on my mat...

Now, this probably isn't the best film for me to write about, as the less you know about it prior to watching it, the better. There is so much I want to say about it as I sing its praises but I will bite my tongue and give you the bare basics.

First things first, Catfish is a documentary, although its "reality thriller" label is a more fitting description. I say this, because there has been speculation that the whole thing was scripted and acted, or as some hard-core cynics would call it, "faked". Having watched the film, I would have to disagree. However, what makes this film so charming, is that it really doesn't matter either way. Even if it was faked or tweaked for dramatic emphasis, it is a brilliantly executed idea and a touching commentary on the society we live in.

Filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, originally set out to record what seemed like an entertaining story about Ariel's brother Nev, an up-and-coming photographer living in New York, and an eight-year-old fan, Abby. But what starts out as a harmless documentary, soon grows into something that neither they nor we are quite expecting...

Some have criticised the film's marketing for being misleading and therefore, said folk have found the ending a disappointment. If, unlike me, you were impressed by the ending of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, it would be snobby of me to call you stupid, but I have a feeling your standards aren't that high so you'll be fine. If, on the other hand, you felt cheated by the pathetic ending (not so much the revelation but the image of village idiot, Noah (Adrian Brody), flailing around in a ditch), then I can assure you that Catfish is no such disappointment, albeit probably different from what you might have been expecting.

Fear not, Catfish does NOT end like this...

The storyline, which is centred around Facebook, provides a much more interesting take on the hugely popular social network, than the film of the same name - but then, I did find The Social Network highly overrated. The cast are likeable, and Nev is highly entertaining throughout. I implore you to watch it.

Not convinced? Then watch the trailer, if you must: