As far as Hollywood is concerned a film is only as marketable as the stars attached. You could have the most poorly written script with a plot more ridiculous than the second coming of Elvis (which has been done) and Hollywood would still plaster it over every bus stop if Disney's current A-list signed on. Nauseating isn't it? Adding to the vomitus stirring in your esophagus is the even more unjust idea that well-written films with underappreciated stars tend to vanish quietly into the night. Kettle of Fish features just such talent and as you may have noticed received just such a fate.
Mel (Modine) is a saxophonist in need of a romantic anchor. As if to imitate his pet goldfish, Mel floats aimlessly in the sea of love, drifting from one woman to another. Mel decides to take an uncharacteristically big step and moves in with one of his mismatched girlfriends on a whim. To earn a few bucks on the side he sublets his apartment to Ginger (Gina Gershon), an amphibian behaviorist. It doesn't take long for Mel to realize he's made a hasty move and try to retreat back into his old apartment making him Ginger's new roommate. As Ginger and Mel struggle to find romance on their own they find themselves inexorably pulled towards one another.
Matthew Modine's innate onscreen charm strongly resembles Aaron Eckhart in many ways. He seems to ooze charisma even when he's hopelessly in over his head. There's something to be said for an actor who can deliver half of his lines to a goldfish without losing the audience altogether; but when Modine monologues/dialogues with the scaled critter there's something real happening onscreen.
Gina Gershon emits an energy that plays a perfect counterpart to Modine's hopeful though sedated Mel. I hate using this word simply because it makes me think of cheesy latina stereotypes whenever I hear it but - Gina's got attitude. Kettle of Fish is simple in concept but the amount of trust placed in the hands of Gershon and Modine says a lot. In such a quirky, character driven story having anything less than the chemistry seen between those two would have doomed it to be mindless drivel.
The only other actor whom I think deserves special recognition is Isiah Whitlock Jr. who plays Mel's band mate Freddie. Freddie sits back and watches Mel make moves that are less than brilliant but essential to the process of emotional growth. He never steps in to stunt Mel but simply supports him when he comes reeling back from his mistakes. The part is well played and deserves praise.
Overall Kettle of Fish offers an onscreen chemistry that many romantic comedies can only hope to possess. Pairing two A-List actors together doesn't automatically create chemistry. All it's guaranteed to create is a film whose budget greatly exceeds reason. If the film suffers at all it can only be credited to a few moments when the dialogue seems slightly unnatural or stilted. Granted the characters are making points pertinent to the plotline but sacrificing the natural dialogue in favor of such progression isn't necessarily the best choice. I'm really nitpicking when I say this so I won't drive the stake too far into the writer's heart.
I know I'm not the only who wonders about the pigheaded producers who think of film as nothing more than a cash cow waiting to be milked with no regard to technique. Kettle of Fish offers a different kind of fare: a relatively well-written romantic comedy with stars whose ability to act holds greater sway than their presence on the red carpet. I think that says a lot about a film in this day and age.
"Kettle of Fish" opens October 6, 2006 and is rated R. Comedy, Romance. Written and directed by Claudia Myers. Starring Christy Scott Cashman, Fisher Stevens, Gina Gershon, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Matthew Modine.
