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January 08, 2006
Little Fish
Sets in Sydney's Little Saigon (Cabramata), Litte Fish follows the collapsing world of Tracy (Cate Blanchett) is an ex-Heroin junkie who has been clean for the past 4 years trying to make ends working in a local Cabramata video shop. Tracy brother's Ray is a small time drug dealer, crippled by a tragic accident 4 years ago. Lionel (Hugo Weaving) is Tracy step father whom she loved dearly, an ex-football star who got hooked on the needle. His gay boyfriend, Bradley Thompson, a big time drug dealer is retiring and cutting off ties with him. Soon he will not get his fix for free anymore.
The family survive through the sheer will of Tracy's mum, Janelle (Noni Hazlehurst), who drives her for her morning swim, to work and picks her up. Janelle lives in a constant fear for Tracy to go back in her old way. And rightly so where Heroin is being traded so easily in the street of Cabramata. The temptation is always there and Janelle knows it.
Tracy has been offered a partnership in the shop by her boss but because of her past the banks are turning down her loan. Depressed not being able the secure the money she needed, ex-boyfriend drug-dealer, now suit-wearing, Jonny (Dustin Nguyen) come back to her life after 4 years absence in Canada. Tracy's entire life is put through a whirlwind which can only ends in a tragedy.
Little Fish is a very dark and depressing movie, but at the same time celebrates love, family and survival. This movie is very hard to watch, it's certainly no "Fun with Dick and Jane", it makes no apology in the Heroin trade and usage in Sydney.
Cate Blanchett put out an amazing performance as a bleak but potentially explosive Tracy. Hugo Weaving is almost unrecognisable as Lionel, haggard and rambles. Noni Hazlehurst is superb as Tracy and Ray's mum. While Dustin Nguyen's attempt of Australian accent is respectable although a bit confused. The movie tries to explain this by sending him away in Vancouver for the past 4 years.
It's very hard to watch Little Fish. I watched it at Govinda's where in the beginning a bunch of girls were giggling and were making really loud noise and jokes. All were silenced barely 20 minutes through the movie. It is very heart-wrenching to watch how Tracy and Janelle had to cope with the issues that they are dealing with. In the beginning of the movie, Tracy and her best friend Laura (Lisa McCune) went to the school reunion to the wall of smiling faces title "In Memoriam". Tracy stopped to reflect at the wall, it was never explained what happened to these kids, but it gives the implication that all died in drug related incidents.
It is refreshing to know that some film-makers still dare to touch the drug issue without glorifying nor chastises the drug use. I couldn't ask for a better movie to start the year. Highly recommended 4/5 stars.
Little Fish is still playing at Govinda's, Melbourne's Dendy, and will be shown on the 18th Jan session of Starlight Cinema. St. George Open Air Cinema will also screen Little Fish, but ticket has been sold out.
Posted by vhadiant at January 8, 2006 10:27 AM
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