Themes: Cons and Scams, Lovers on the Lam, Crime Sprees
Main Cast: Dan Futterman, Stuart Townsend, Kate Beckinsale, Claire Cox, Dominic Mafham
Release Year: 1997
Country: UK
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
Calling to mind the whimsical, swinging London comedies of the 1960s, such as the Blake EdwardsPink Panther films and the collaborations of The Beatles with director Richard Lester, this frantic romantic comedy is an airy, pop example of the British New Wave. Dylan Dan Futterman and Jez Stuart Townsend are friends from opposite sides of the Atlantic using their special skills -- Dylan is a slick-talking American, while Jez is a humble British computer expert -- to bilk England's wealthy. Both orphans, they plan to accumulate enough pounds to buy the luxurious mansion home they never had as children. Their scams include selling phony voice-recognition software and reinstalling the same insulation into various homes. Into their lives comes Georgie (Kate Beckinsale), a beautiful girl engaged to a rich jerk. Dylan and Jez hire Georgie as a secretary and both fall in love with her, though Jez's feelings are a bit more sincere. At first appalled by her employers' scams, Georgie believes their lie that they intend to give the money to the poor. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
Shooting Fish is a fanciful, harmless mix of caper film and romantic comedy. Its conceits defy common sense (the protagonists trick several homeowners into believing that they are installing insulation without ever bringing the materials into the house) and gravity (they lighten a racehorse jockey with only enough helium to film a few birthday balloons). It has enough plot for two films. It loves saccharine, Burt Bacharach, and hackneyed musical montages. Actors Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend make a devastatingly appealing pair as the film's two grown orphans with a penchant for hi-jinks. The two men approach their characters' wantonness with confidence and panache, making their various schemes seem just and venial. This is not to mention their chemistry with mutual love interest Kate Beckinsale. Shooting Fish has the insouciant tone of a film without a heavy and with a lust for life. It may not say much about its various topics -- such as orphans, criminals, the disabled, even horseracing -- but it never pretends to have a big brain, just lots of fun and a ton of heart. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
Sue Ferguson - Art Director, Leslie McNeil - Associate Producer, Sarah Beardsall - Casting, Neil Peplow - Co-producer, Stewart Meachem - Costume Designer, Simon Hinkly - First Assistant Director, Stefan Schwartz - Director, Alan Strachan - Editor, Gary Smith - Executive Producer, Chris Craib - Executive Producer, Graham Hampson-Silk - Executive Producer, Stanislas Syrewicz - Composer (Music Score), Ivan Chandler - Musical Direction/Supervision, Max Gottlieb - Production Designer, Henry Braham - Cinematographer, Richard Holmes - Producer, Glynis Murray - Producer, Simon Clark - Sound/Sound Designer, Richard Holmes - Screenwriter, Stefan Schwartz - Screenwriter, Mark Taylor - Re-Recording Mixer
Appropriately for a post-Trainspotting, post-Brit-pop British indie film, the soundtrack to Shooting Fish contains a selection of second-wave Brit-pop bands and lush Burt Bacharach oldies. It's an entertaining collection, boasting selections from Space, the Supernaturals, Silver Sun, Symposium, David McAlmont, the Wannadies, Dubstar, the Divine Comedy and the Bluetones. Each of the contributions are solid, but only a handful, such as the Bluetones' "Bluetonic," are better-than-average Brit-pop, which means that the soundtrack fails to capture the excitement (not to mention the zeitgeist) of its era, which Trainspotting did effortlessly. Nevertheless, Shooting Fish is a good sampler for Brit-pop fans who want to explore second-level bands they've only read about in the weeklies. Just be warned that some of the bands don't live up to the hype. There can only be so many Best Bands in Britian, after all, and Symposium, Space and the Supernaturals don't necessarily have a fighting chance, especially since Suede, Blur, Pulp, Oasis, the Manic Street Preachers, the Verve and Radiohead are already vying for the title. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Dylan (Dan Futterman) and Jez (Stuart Townsend) are two orphans who meet in their twenties and vow to achieve their shared childhood dream of living in a stately home. In pursuit of this dream they spend their days living in a disused gasometer, spending as little money as possible and conning the upper classes out of their riches. During one of their biggest cons, their lives are touched by Georgie (Kate Beckinsale), who needs money to save the Down's syndrome foundation that her brother attends. When a con goes wrong, the two find themselves in jail to be released only after their entire fortune is rendered useless because of a recall of £50 notes. It is down to an elaborate plan involving Dylan, Jez and (if they can persuade her) Georgie, to break them out of jail in order to save their dream.
The film is in essence part Ealing comedy, part comic farce, with a series of fantastic adventures interwoven with a surprisingly good and contemporary soundtrack. Unlike straight rom-coms or whacky comedies of the time Shooting Fish was distinctive in its generous blurring between fact and fantasy (witness the helium balloon episode at the finale) and stands apart from many of its contemporaries for this reason. However the suspension of gritty reality-a quality the director had deliberately sought-probably stopped the film from achieving wider critical acclaim.
Production
<-- === Locations and shoot === --> The film was shot in the autumn of 1996 (August-October). Most filming took place at Shepperton Studios and outside street locations in north London. Alexandra Palace features in one notable scene. The gas holder in which Dylan and Jez live no longer exists, having been situated in Mill Hill up to the early 2000s. The crematorium scene was filmed in Garston, west Hertfordshire. The film would eventually make its nationwide screening in October 1997.
Reception
The film held its own commercially in the UK. Reviews at the time singled out Townsend for praise but felt the narrative contained one twist and turn too many. Others suggested the film was merely an 'Ealing Comedy' in modern form and lacked modern characterization. Nevertheless, the film proved to be a solid launch vehicle for Beckinsale, Futterman and Townsend. Kate Beckinsale was awarded 'Best Actress' for her performance in Shooting Fish at the Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain. Other notable British comedy actors appearing included Jane Lapotaire, Peter Capaldi, Geoffrey Whitehead and Ralph Ineson. Shooting Fish continues to command a cult status among fans and bears up remarkably well today against films of a simlar era/genre (Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence 1998, High Heels and Low Lifes 2001 et al.)
"- A succession of cameos provides light relief, and the film's saved by the amiable performances of Futterman, Beckinsale and, especially, Townsend." ~TIME OUT 1997
Soundtrack
Stefan Schwartz, the director, was looking for an essential nineties feel to the film. The era of Britpop was at its height and was reflected in a stylish and striking array of tracks for a light comedy film:-
Me And You Vs The World" Written & Performed by Space Courtesy of Hit & Run Music/Gut Music & Gut Records
"I'm A Little Teapot" Written by George Sanders & Clarence Kelly
"Beautiful Alone" Written & Performed by Strangelove
