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Go Fish (1995)
Released By: Hallmark Entertainment   Rating: R   In Theaters: N/A
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Studio: Hallmark Entertainment
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Rose Troche
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: Guinevere Turner, V.S. Brodie, T. Wendy McMillan, Migdalia Melendez, Anastasia Sharp
Published ID: 5765
UPC: 027616864413,
Plot: This hit arthouse ensemble piece traces the romantic and political ups and downs of a group of multicultural Chicago lesbians. The central story involves an unlikely romance between Max (Guinevere Turner), a hip young babe, and Ely (V.S. Brodie), a slightly older woman involved in a long-term, long-distance relationship that's basically a smokescreen for her fear of romantic risk. When the pair are introduced by Max's roommate, teacher/activist Kia (T. Wendy McMillan), Max isn't interested in Ely, whose long hair, hippie accoutrements, and fondness for decaffeinated herbal tea don't impress the younger, more fashion-conscious woman. Soon, though, fate, friends, and Ely's butch new hairstyle conspire to push the women closer together. As this new romance inches along, the pair's friends have problems of their own: Kia must help her closeted girlfriend, Evy (Migdalia Melendez), come to grips with the disapproval of her conservative Latina mother, while their pal Daria (Anastasia Sharp) incurs the disapproval of the lesbian community for her decision to sleep with a man. Filmed in black and white on-location in Chicago, Go Fish features a number of non-standard narrative devices, most notably the Greek chorus, or jury, of lesbians who comment on not only the plot, but also the political and social ramifications thereof. Shown in competition at {~Sundance} in 1994, Go Fish went on to earn critical and commercial success and establish the careers of director Rose Troche and actress Turner, who together co-wrote and co-produced the picture. Turner would appear in several additional indies and co-write the script for American Psycho, while Troche would go on to helm 1998's Bedrooms & Hallways. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
Worth seeing
Added 7/14/2009

I watched this movie after turning off The Ninth Gate. Compared with Polanski's plodding film, I found this refreshing, invigorating. There are visual effects reminiscent of Godard, Bergman, Cassavetes, Warhol. Very interesting. Some parts were lame, such as the gathering of female heads to discuss the prospects of the relationship between Eli and Max, but other scenes made up for this.

In one scene the talking heads are discussing what to call the female genitals, and no one says the "p" word. That surprised me.

The movie did seem a bit sanitized, like Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing. No bitchiness, no cruelty, no stealing your friend's girlfriend... The goodhearted confrérie of lesbians was a little cloying.

Finally, I ordered this film from Netflix because I thought it was by a filmmaker who made a legendary lesbian film in 1974. But her filmography says she is much younger. I ordered the wrong "Go Fish" by the wrong filmmaker.

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Relative but still not any Good
Added 4/10/2009

This movie is painfully artsy. It's very early 90s "My So Called Life" angst mixed with depression. Plus terrible amateur acting, and moments of unnecessary cliche cinematic affectations. I will probably watch this movie again, just because I relate. On the whole, though, not a good film.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
An excellent document of it's time
Added 10/3/2008

Ok, I know that GO FISH has some bad acting. I know that the lines are sometimes self conscious and try too hard. And I understand that some people find the actors to be unattractive. But here's the thing: any movie made by dykes, for dykes, is a valuable part of our community, even ones that make us want to cry (in the bad way). So it doesn't represent you and your friends. Ok, well, maybe you haven't noticed that dykes are an extremely varied group of people, so shut up and make your own movie about your friends. And then everyone can complain about how it isn't just like them.

Maybe I'm biased because GO FISH was the first lesbian made movie I ever saw in a movie theater. Maybe I'm biased because the fashion in the film, horrible as it is, is EXACTLY the kind of clothing that my friends and I wore in the 90's. But I kind of like this movie. LIke it or not, a lot of dykes are really mostly interested in sex and dating and finding someone to love. Is that so bad? In my experience, straight people aren't all that different. And film in the 90's was really into that "let's just show people how they really are" thing- remember Reality Bites? No one gets all mad if straight people in straight movies talk and think about sex all of the time- why should dykes be any different?

Some of the things I really admire about this movie: it deals honestly with the "when are you a dyke, when are you bisexual" question, it has more than one dyke character of color, it has a family situation where the parents aren't ok with their dyke daughter (that's called reality, not like Better than Chocolate), the women are all normal bodied, with stomach rolls and hairy legs, just like the women I know, it actually talks about safe sex (unheard of in dyke film- did you catch it, when Daria gives Ely a ziploc bag before her date? uh huh), and, for that matter, the slutty character is the one who practices safe sex, a really valuable message for dykes.

So this movie will always remain one of my favorites. To me, it absolutely marks a time and place in dyke history. And as much as I hate to say it, apparently the 90's are now a part of dyke history....

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Unwatachable
Added 9/2/2008

As a lesbian film, a straight film or just a film in general this is just unwatchable. I just dont get the fact this film won awards.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
Absolutely wonderful
Added 4/9/2008

Words can not even begin to express how much I loved this movie. I don't usually like the whole arty/black-and-white thing, but something about it just drew me in from the beginning, and I am VERY glad I took the time to watch it.

It's the first lesbian movie I've seen that I felt really connected... kinda hard to explain what I mean, but if you are a lesbian and you feel out of place in the world, BUY THIS MOVIE. It will take away that awful feeling that you're too weird and there's nobody else like you... this movie has women who look like real women and act like real women -- this is about as far from "The L Word" as it's possible to get, and that's a good thing.

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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