The premise of many stories, especially within crime fiction, revolves around the idea of a person having lost his or her memory and doing everything in his/her power to regain it. Given the strong connection of memory and identity, this narrative, if handled wisely, is quite thrilling and also terrifying since so much of what we remember also defines who we are and also the level of control we have over our lives. In contrast, the idea of trying to forget what has happened to you is just as powerful, and both concepts are combined in Chen Hung-i‘s 2023 feature “Fish Memories”. Similar to his previous features, such as “The Last Painting” and “As We Like It”, Chen’s project tells us a story which has just as much to say about the present state of the world as it does about timeless issues, such as aforementioned themes like identity and what defines a person.
Fish Memories is screening in Taiwan Film Festival in Australia
Businessman Zi Jie (Frederick Lee) has it all. Working at a consulting company, he has become respected among his peers as well as rich over the years, with his charm and sense of style resulting in quite a number of affairs, but nothing lasting. On the brink of his 50th birthday, he runs into Shang (Hank Wang), a young man with a fondness for skateboarding, who he meets at a gas station, where he works. The two have a conversation, with Shang talking about doing several jobs, which reminds Zi Jie of his time as a university student. As the two meet again, the businessman also meets Shang’s girlfriend Zhen (Hung Chien).
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Even though their lifestyle does not really fit to his, Zi Jie enjoys the company of the two, as he spends a lot of time in their apartment, recording videos and playing video games. The same thing continues in his apartment, culminating in a challenge presented by Shang, as he wants to switch places with Zi Jie for the course of one day. However, a tragic event binds them together even more, and while the businessman still tries to make sense of what has happened, his new friends disappear from his life just as sudden as they came into it.
To those familiar with the director’s previous features, it should not come as a surprise to find out “Fish Memories” is a gorgeous looking movie. The aesthetic decisions in this feature have already been praised at multiple occasions, with Yu Jing-Pin‘s cinematography winning a Golden Horse Award. However, this approach is far from being merely style or eye-candy, as there is a deep connection between the form and the narrative, especially when taking into account the core metaphor mentioned in the opening moments of the feature. The yellow/orange and blue color palette which define everyday life for the hero hint at his existence being somewhat repetitive, much like a fish in an aquarium.
He has seemingly lost touch with what is really important and he keeps repeating the same patterns, with Shang and Zhen presenting a moment of clarity. This idea of realization and wanting to change is what maintains the tensions within the narrative for the first half, with the second basically asking the question how we, or more precisely, the protagonist, moves on from here.
What keeps the audience stick with “Fish Memories” is also the performances by the cast. Frederick Lee as Zi Jie plays a man who does not understand he has created his own aquarium, a kind of nice- and shiny-looking prison, and whose inevitable catharsis sets in motion a whole chain of events. The chemistry between him and Hung Chien and Hank Wang is also believable, even though the dialogues and scenes are somewhat hit and miss. If there is an issue with “Fish Memories” you may find it here, as the overall story is just as repetitive as the life of the main character. Visuals, performances and dialogues seem to hammer home with the same point over and over again, until switching course in the second half, which often feels unnecessary, especially since nothing more is added to the notion hinted at in a specific image or moment.
“Fish Memories” is a great-looking and often quite poetic feature dealing with themes such as regret, memory and identity. Director Chen Hung-i has created a movie whose aesthetic qualities often overshadow how repetitive it is, stressing the same point over and over again.
