The Amazing Catfish

The pacing was perfect, with little to no transition between scenes as the characters dealt with their daily responsibilities and the shared responsibility of their dying mother. Emotions and drama were showed, not told, which made the overarching message of family and charity all the more powerful.

Excellent portrait of the malleability of family, of the way that shared suffering and common interest in each other lead to the kinds of familial connections and healing that are impossible within one's own broken family. Director Sainte-Luce begins the film in an isolating, nearly wordless manner that helps create a sense of yearning for something relational to occur. In this way the film points us to get beyond the discomforts of new relationships and toward a better way of being in the world

It takes the film so long to unfold and reveal where it is heading, that I almost lost patience. A pity, because once it was in full flow, the tender moments shared between characters amid the hustle and bustle of busy family life were worth waiting for. The director masters the tone, but not the pacing of this film about fate bringing lost people together to give each other what they need.