Having a tumultuous relationship with his mother, Tiger is shocked to learn about her passing when he finds she has been reborn inside of his pet goldfish. In an attempt to honor her last wish and allow her to pass on, Tiger must take her to the mother-son dance. Yet, as the two are forced into a peculiar situation, Tiger finally decides to confront the past and the difficulties of finding acceptance from his always judgemental mother.
“FISH” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
A lovely piece of absurdist comedy, Jeremy Hsing's “FISH” oozes charm with its quirky take on familial relationships and reconciliation. As a comedy, the short film shines thanks to its purposely stilted line delivery and the expressive personality of its star, Patrick Zhang. Furthermore, the work shows purposeful restraint to still keep that cinematic edge without wandering into the realm of parody. Think somewhere along the lines of Quinten Dupieux and you will get an idea of how brilliantly Hsing works in absurdism without deviating into unappealing nonsense. However, the project is not without its faults and issues balancing certain story elements.
Where “FISH” begins to stumble slightly is in its attempt at evoking an emotional response by exploring the cultural and social divide that can be created between mother and son, including a degree of vagueness around accepting Tiger's sexual orientation (this more applied than explicit). Notably, the persistent absurd beats that are present from the beginning with Tiger masturbating to “Sexiest American Presidents”, and the continued offbeat tone creates a divide that skirts the intended sentimentality. That is not to say “FISH” completely loses sight of its messaging, but the emphasis on humor dominates the work, gleefully, which makes it difficult to entirely embrace the shift in tone needed to create an emotionally charged moment.
The sound design and editing are largely impeccable for a student short, and the production has a nice gloss to it that leaves a lasting impact. The score, popping up in the subtitles as ‘magical realism music', hits the mark with an atmospheric yet somewhat quizzical score that works well with the absurd premise and clean flow of the production. The only distracting element of the sound design comes from the voice acting of the ‘mother turned fish', whose youthful age comes through and somewhat sullies the implied emotional connection formed between her and Tiger.
“FISH” is an impressive short film, Jeremy Hsing's playful approach is matched with a sharp visual direction that makes him an exciting filmmaker to keep an eye on. At the same time, “FISH” feels like more of a starting point with a slightly off-balance delivery of themes. Regardless of any minor slip-ups, viewers should have a blast with this tiny film that packs a huge punch.
