Review of Little Fish (2005) by Darren W — 26 Mar 2010

Rowan Woods' 'Little Fish' is a junkie-noir anti-thriller that uses a family trying to overcome it's shaky history to tell a cutting tale of love, regret and futures past. Cate Blanchette, Hugo Weaving and Noni Hazelhurst masterfully lead a cast of hard-bitten suburbanites twitching in their own webs, and poisoning each other even as they try to help. Or, worse still, to just impress and placate. While not a worm's-eye den and alley voyage, it has stark and sad moments that tangibly slap you with the shameless behaviour of addicts and their enablers.

Blanchette is Tracy, a video shop manager with a criminal past who is on the verge of a bright future, due to a business investment. Weaving is Lionel, who was once a revered sportsman but now spends his days using his personal connections to stay high. And Hazelhurst is Janelle, Tracy and Ray(the always good Martin Henderson)'s mum, and the routine-based rock that they all revolve around. The drama hinges on the overlapping alliances and decisions the characters make - and they are all small, believable steps that have them drifting inevitably toward the worst kind of hurt.

The best scenes involve Tracy's struggle, particularly scenes involving a visit to a stockbrokers, and one with a children's choir singing Cold Chisel's 'Flame Trees', a touchstone in the story. She has an easy smile, but never seems happy. And her relationships with ex Jonny and Lionel are constantly second-guessed. And the far-reaching implications of drug addiction are simply pockets of everyday life. Pram-pushing women do deals at train stations. In a reunion scene, we are shown an inordinately large "In Memorium" board.

Woods blurs lights and reflections during segueways and conversations - including a nifty effect with an insect - which parallel the self-induced mirages. There are hand-held inserts and some nice-looking overheads during travel. Also good are Dustin Nguyen as Jonny, back in town after causing some hurt of his own, and Sam Neil and Joel Tobek as Brad and Moss, two blokey "businessmen" that you don't want knocking on your door. Unless - as in the silliest scene in this solid film - they're sleepy.