Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

MBunge Kettle of Fish is a romantic-comedy that contains neither romance nor comedy. By no romance, I mean the lead characters and their various paramours have the same sexual chemistry as Spam and grape juice. By no comedy, I mean it's at least 40 minutes into the film before there's even a vague, unsuccessful attempt at humor. This is the sort of movie where you start to wonder when exactly the people involved in making it realized what a leaden fiasco it was. I can't imagine anyone reading this script and thinking it deserved to make it onto the screen, but surely somebody must have figured out what a mistake they were making before they were halfway finished shooting. What must it have been like to spend hours and hours editing this thing only to finally realize no matter how you tried to cut and splice it, Kettle of Fish was never going to be more than a piece of crap?Mel (Matthew Modine) is a professional musician who normally plays the saxophone in a jazz band headed up by his friend Freddie (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). Mel is 40somthing and looks it, particularly around his saggy neck, but still manages to land a bevy of beauties because in this film's reality, there's nothing chicks dig more than middle-aged jazz men who still live like poor college students. As the story begins, Mel is having a mid-life crisis and impetuously decides to move in with Inga (Ewa Da Cruz), his 20something Swedish girlfriend. Mel sublets his apartment to Dr. Ginger Thomas (Gina Gershon), an English scientist who researches the reproductive patterns of frogs. Inga quickly kicks Mel out for being a douchebag, so he weasels his way back into his old apartment and splits the rent with Ginger until she can find her own place.Mel then becomes smitten with Diana (Christy Scott Cashman), a woman he meets on her wedding day, and becomes so fixated on her that he abandons his music career to be the elevator operator in Diana's building so he can see her for a few minutes each day. This movie treats that behavior as wistfully charming. In real life, it would qualify as deranged stalking.As I'm sure you can guess, Mel chases after Diana while he and Ginger fall in love without either of them admitting it to themselves. What passes for clever in this screenplay is that Mel and Ginger bond over Mel's pet fish. It's only when Diana is so neglected by her husband (Fisher Stevens) that she throws herself at Mel that he realizes his feelings for Ginger and blah, blah, blah. There isn't a single original plot development in this entire movie, so if you've seen one romantic-comedy then you know exactly how this one goes.What's most noticeable about Kettle of Fish is how Matthew Modine has absolutely no emotional connection to any of the actresses in the cast. It's almost like they all did their own roles in separate rooms and were then combined on screen via computer. The only believable relationship in the entire film is between Mel and Freddie, but that's of little use since this isn't about Mel coming to grips with his latent homosexuality. I mean, I've always found Modine to be a diffident performer but he might as well be a cigar store Indian for all the attachment he shows to either Ewa Da Cruz, Christy Scott Cashman or Gina Gershon.Not that Da Cruz, Cashman or Gershon are any better. Inga is less like a woman in love and more like a woman with a learning disability. Diana reacts to both Mel and her husband like she were heavily medicated. When the plot needs to kill time by having Ginger trifle with the affection of a fellow research scientist (James O'Connor), Gershon gives it the same level of feeling as if she were testing the pH level in her swimming pool.Gershon's lips are also constantly parted in this film like her teeth were trying to escape from her jaw. Even when her mouth is supposed to be closed, there's a gap in the middle as though she can't unpucker. You don't notice it right away. When you do, though, you can't stop looking at it.When I was finished watching Kettle of Fish, I clicked over to the behind-the-scenes feature on the DVD. I only needed to look at it for 25 seconds before knowing everything there is to know about this film. Writer/director Claudia Myers says this was the first script she wrote in film school and it was inspired by movies where people fall in love at first sight. In other words, she didn't know what the hell she was doing when she wrote it and it's not based on anything real or meaningful from her own life.This is one of those rom-coms where the plot is arduously predictable and the actors look like they'd rather be doing commercials for acne medication. Skip it.

Amy Adler Mel (Matthew Modine) is an aging jazz musician in New York City. He is a "player" in the world of romance, too, zigzagging from one pretty female to another, but always coming home alone to his goldfish, Daphne. Yet, he is very aware that he is "not getting any younger" and that it is time for him to commit to someone. As such, Mel decides to move in with a pretty thing and sublet his apartment. His new renter is Ginger (Gina Gershon), a bespectacled British biologist, who has arrived in the Big Apple to study amphibians. But, unhappily for Mel, his relationship skills are so bad that his girlfriend soon kicks him out and he needs his old apartment back NOW. Ginger soon points out that a contract is present and that she needs time to find another set of digs. So, they decide to share the place, with Ginger getting the bedroom and Mel residing in the living room. There is a definite atmosphere of dislike brewing between the two of them. Then, too, Mel has a crush on a newlywed woman, Diana (Christy Scott Cashman) who he met on the ferry to one of his gigs. He even takes a job as an elevator man in her building so that he can get closer to her. But, as she is married to a very rich gentleman (Fisher Stevens) it appears unlikely that she will return Mel's affections. Where will the course of true love run? This is truly a nice little film for those fans of romantic comedy. First, the cast is quite nice, with Modine giving a wonderfully nuanced performance as the misguided musician in search of life's purpose. Stevens, too, is very funny as the self-absorbed husband while Cashman scores big points as the beautiful but empty-headed bride. As for Gershon, she shines brightly, in a role that runs counter-clockwise to many of the racier parts in her previous films. With a nice British accent and her beauty semi-hidden under her glasses, she easily gives one of her best performances ever. All of the niceties of film-making, such as good costuming, attractive settings and fine camera work, are present. Congratulations, also, to the imaginative script and the confident direction of one Claudia Myers. In brief, if you are fishing for a new flick in the world of romcom entertainment, you would be well advised to "catch" this one. Grab it at the nearest video outlet, pop some kettle corn in the micro, and kick off your shoes for a nice little watch.

bbousquet1 I found this to be a wonderful little debut feature from a writer/director I suspect we will be hearing a lot more about in the years to come. The script attempts to tackle some rather weighty issues, but without compromising the admittedly comedic aspects of attempting to fathom one's own innermost desires. There is something of an existential undercurrent that permeates the story, yielding more than what's typically found in today's boilerplate, "feel good" romantic comedies. I suspect this is what accounts for the participation of some of the cast's more recognizable names. Myers brings out a truly impressive performance from unknown actress Christy Cashman, who all but steals the show in her supporting role. I actually saw this premier at the Tribeca Film Festival, so I had the benefit of hearing the director field questions from the audience and explain what she was attempting to achieve in the storyline. At times the dialogue betrays a profoundness that the casualness of the delivery might not make immediately apparent. In this way I would describe the writing as being somewhat ambitious, but it definitely works. I would not be surprised to see this one get picked-up in the theaters. Highly recommended viewing for the more philosophically inclined.

pmordacq I really liked the movie! Though its my wife who dragged me to see it -well, it's a romantic comedy- , I had a great time. The movie is clearly an excellent romantic comedy but I felt it was also much more and spoke a lot to guys issues, such as moving together, who's the right girl and how to make a move towards her. Its very funny and packed with some great lines. I loved the jazzy music, which works with the rhythm of the movie quite well. Gina Gershon is very sexy, but in a new way that suits her well. I had never seen C. Cashman on screen but her dance number is something I'll remember. I also liked to see the guy from American pie and an ex bond girl... Go see it.