Catfish (2010) Ariel Schulman & Henry Joost

This is a fascinating documentary and definitely a must-see.  It's a deep, controversial analysis on  human, computer-based, relationships and their complexity.  The truth is, I'm not very familiar with this trend of getting to know people through the internet, but I have a couple of friends who have done it and have enjoyed the experience.  Still, I think you take away the magic of the first encounter, of the first exchange of looks and smiles, of being able to decipher his/her corporal language.  Despite what I think, this way of getting to know people is getting more and more popular every day, so I think it's of great interest and importance that young directors now-a-days, explore this topic and its possibilities.



It begins in a very casual/funny mood.  You get to know Yaniv, who happens to be a great character to whom you can immediately identify, and therefore empathize with.  This makes you want to listen to, what appears to be, just another trivial love story, despite how cliche it may first seem.

The first twenty minutes, I thought this documentary was about to sell us what a great idea meeting people through the internet is.  But then, the twist takes place.  "Abby's such a psychopath" Yaniv says when he finds out she's been cynically lying to his face (computer).  And the movie begins to get really interesting.  Generally, most people in that situation would've simply ended the relationship right there.  They would've just said something like "there's too many weir people in the internet..." and would've probably given it a rest for a while.  But they decide to dig deeper and get to the bottom of it.

First they do research on how much of it is a lie. Then, they visit and confront her. "Why?" they ask her, and as she tries to answer, you get to know her... she's no psychopath, truth is, she's no worse than any of us, she's just a lonely-frustrated gal that has all these issues that don't let her reach out to people.  Evidently she has a huge problem coping with reality and telling the truth, and she clearly needs to get some help, but she's not a bad person.  She's didn't play with Yaniv's feelings just for the fun of it... and they're right, the whole situation is sad and nothing more... and i think that's why Yaniv doesn't get mad at her.  How can you get mad at somebody who's incapable of loving?  I don't think you can, and if you do manage to get mad, then I don't think you actually understand what that means, being "incapable of loving"...

There's a lot to ponder on.  Isn't every relationship based on an Abby(ideal)-Angela(reality) structure? Don't we all, at some level, believe the other one wants us to be Abby? and haven't we all felt the frustration of uncovering the Angela beneath?  Do we ever truly relate on a Angela-Angela level?  Is it even possible?  And isn't there a little of Abby in all of us?  Or is it the other way around? A little of ourselves in Abby? ...just like there was a little of Angela in Abby...