| Shooting Fish | |
|---|---|
Promotional movie poster for the film |
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| Directed by | Stefan Schwartz |
| Written by | Stefan Schwartz Richard Holmes |
| Starring | Dan Futterman Stuart Townsend Kate Beckinsale |
| Music by | Stanislas Syrewicz |
| Cinematography | Henry Braham |
| Studio | Winchester Films |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Shooting Fish is a 1997 British film co-written by Richard Holmes and Stefan Schwartz. Holmes produced and Schwartz directed. It co-starred Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend as two con men with Kate Beckinsale as their unwilling assistant. It was produced by Winchester Films and partly funded by National Lottery money administered through the UK Arts Council. Shooting Fish aimed to transfer well to international markets that were keen on British films following the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral.
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Dylan (Dan Futterman) and Jez (Stuart Townsend) are two orphans who meet in their twenties and vow to achieve their shared childhood dream of living in a stately home. In pursuit of this dream they spend their days living in a disused gasometer, spending as little money as possible and conning the upper classes out of their riches. During one of their biggest cons, their lives are touched by Georgie (Kate Beckinsale), who needs money to save the Down's syndrome foundation that her brother attends. When a con goes wrong, the two find themselves in jail to be released only after their entire fortune is rendered useless because of a recall of £50 notes. It is down to an elaborate plan involving Dylan, Jez and (if they can persuade her) Georgie, to break them out of jail in order to save their dream.
The film, in essence, is part Ealing comedy, part underdog farce with a sequence of madcap adventures set against a striking soundtrack by contemporary Britpop artists. Unlike straight rom-coms or mainstream comedies of the period Shooting Fish contained a generous blending of fact and fantasy (witness the helium balloon episode at the finale).
The film was shot in the autumn of 1996 (August–October). Most filming took place at Shepperton Studios and outside street locations in north London. Alexandra Palace features in one notable scene. The gas holder in which Dylan and Jez live no longer exists, having been situated in Mill Hill up to the early 2000s. The crematorium scene was filmed in Garston, west Hertfordshire. The film would eventually make its nationwide screening in October 1997.
The film held its own commercially in the UK. Reviews at the time singled out Townsend for praise but felt the narrative contained one twist and turn too many. Others suggested the film was merely an 'Ealing Comedy' in modern form and lacked modern characterization. The 'soft comedic focus' however had been a deliberate plan by the production team who wanted to avoid the socio-political realism in comedies like Brassed Off and The Full Monty. Nevertheless, the film proved to be a solid launch vehicle for Beckinsale, Futterman and Townsend. Kate Beckinsale was awarded Best Actress for her performance in Shooting Fish at the Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain. Other notable British comedy actors appearing included Jane Lapotaire, Peter Capaldi, Geoffrey Whitehead and Ralph Ineson. Shooting Fish continues to command a cult status among fans and bears up remarkably well today against films of a similar era/genre, including Up 'n' Under (1998) and High Heels and Low Lifes 2001)
A Time Out review (1997) said, "A succession of cameos provides light relief, and the film's saved by the amiable performances of Futterman, Beckinsale and, especially, Townsend."
Stefan Schwartz, the director, was looking for an essential nineties feel to the film. The era of Britpop was at its height and this was reflected in a stylish and striking array of tracks for a light comedy film:-
Shooting Fish was released on DVD for various regions in 2001. At 99 mins, even in the UK, this is the US cinema release version. Many scenes aimed more specifically at a British audience (such as some references to ITV programme Blind Date ) and the "Waterloo! / Vindaloo!" explosive defeat of the villains have been removed. It has not as of 2011 been re-released uncut or in the Blu-ray format.