Film Review: Catfish [dir. Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman; 2010]

It would be a shame if Catfish is remembered solely for the mini-controversy about whether it's a genuine documentary or a piece of fiction cleverly masquerading as fact. Making incessant use of the electronic imagery that has become an integral part of our world (think: Facebook chats, Google Street View, arrows guiding our journeys on a SatNav screen) it shows the growing, Internet-based relationship between Nev Schulman - a young, New York-based photographer - and a family living in Michigan. When a certain aspect of the friendship starts to grow more serious, Schulman discovers that perhaps one's Facebook buddies aren't quite what they claim to be. To my mind, the film's central revelation isn't nearly as surprising as the fact that three young, techno-savvy artists living in one of the most sophisticated cities in the world appear to be bowled over by the realisation that the people using social networking sites aren't all paragons of saintly honesty. However, beyond the question of factual accuracy, beyond the hype and beyond the (slyly?) amateurish camerawork lies a touching story about responding to deception with tenderness and compassion. It's also notable for Schulman's considerable on-screen charisma and a virtuoso montage in the opening minutes.