Kettle of Fish

Kettle of Fish is for those who like their romantic comedies to seem sophisticated while sipping a glass of wine, but secretly want to be eating pizza, and unwinding after a long week. Nothing too demanding, just flows according to the the rules of the genre: jazz musician, non-committal bachelor type, leases his flat to English research repressed but stunning woman, sparks fly, musician tries other relationships but gradually realizes what's going on.... (It that counts as a spoiler you're probably watching the wrong kind of film...)

Matthew Modine is good as the bachelor fast approaching his sell-by date - he exudes a kind of laid-back charm that works well. Gina Gershon is too British in places - honestly, her accent makes "A Brief Encounter" sound like low down cockney by comparison, if you can forgive it and just treat it as OTT primness then a good time is to be had by all. The fish has real potential, and will no doubt get work. As will the frog. Iguana not so sure about.

While utterly predictable in its ending as befits its romantic nature, it is surprisingly good in its conversations and silly enough in the chase to have a kookie charm of it's own.

Smooth sounds, and fun. My wife and I found this very good in places (Esppecially the conversations the male characters had with each other), but felt the distractions in the plot were trying too hard to be funny peculiar, rather than funny ha-ha. Overall, though, very pleasant and a good warm romantic movie.

We liked it - but we would want the laughs to be tones down and the conversations to be tighter to really love it - worth a rental...

I'm a fan of Matthew Modine, but this film--which I stumbled upon on cable--is absolutely witless. I see that the screenwriter and director were one and the same, so there was no one around to check her worst instincts. There are no surprises, no original lines, and no original characters. The goldfish was basically the most sympathetic character. What a waste of all this acting talent. Given how expensive it is to film in New York these days, I have to wonder how this got made in the first place. And if you're wondering why I watched it at all, it came on after a film that I like on cable and I left it on while I worked at the computer. It's not a very demanding picture!

A lifelong bachelor confronts his intimacy issues when he sublets his apartment to a fetching biologist. His heartsick fish and his wise best buddy are on hand to provide perspective. The metaphors in this movie are abundant, and so are the good moments. Are there annoying things in this movie? Yes, like the overdone characters and such. But the movie has enough to keep you entertained. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were really needed. This is the kind of film that tries to prove that a small story can be much more meaningful than a larger one. Overall rating: 7/10.

I saw it at the Tribeca film festival and I was impressed. "Kettle of Fish" delivers everything you would want from a romantic comedy: a good story, some big laughs and (after a few twists and turns along the way) the happy ending. The thing that makes this film better than most romantic comedies is its original script, its steady pace and a great performance by Matthew Modine. I would have liked to have seen more of Isiah Whitlock Jr. (State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis from "The Wire"), but otherwise I have very little to quibble about with this movie. "Kettle of Fish" would make a good choice for a first date movie.

Kettle of Fish is the story of Mel, an aging Lothario (Matthew Modine), whose primary emotional attachment is with his fish Daphne, but who is shaken out of his complacency by the arrival of Ginger, a tightly-wound British amphibian biologist played by Gina Gershon. In time-honored romantic comedy style, Mel rents his apartment to Ginger, then is forced to move back in with her, to the discomfort of both. At the same time, Mel falls hard for a bride (Christy Cashman) on her wedding day and goes to crazy lengths to pursue the relationship. The director keeps a light touch throughout, and invests some fairly stock romantic situations with a sense of surprise. Really a mainstream romantic comedy on an indie budget, I thought Kettle was more satisfying and a lot funnier than the usual Hollywood fare. After a little bit of a slow start, the second half of the movie really starts hopping, and there are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments towards the end, particularly in one of the most awkward seduction scenes I've seen in a while. Great date movie.