Comments on: Review: ‘Catfish’ Is An Intriguing Documentary Thriller….Or Is It?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:14:10 +0000

Anonymous:

What the hell are you talking about? Internet cons happen fairly frequently, but this one isn't even all that similar to the one that appears in "Catfish." Yet you claim that the filmmakers are simply passing someone else's story off as their own. Well, the story is different, and, as I mentioned in my earlier comment, the events in "Catfish" are real. Have you even seen it? And if so, what case could you possibly provide for the filmmakers "taking" the details of this Jesse James story?

Christ, get some perspective.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:26:10 +0000

The problem is that Exit Through the Gift Shop and I'm Still Here aren't complete rip-offs of another person's work, while Catfish is.

http://www.laweekly.com/2007-10-11/news/the-life-and-death-of-jesse-james/

Passing someone else's actual intensely personal experience as your own in attempt to make money isn't just unethical – it's con artistry.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 21:53:12 +0000

Having spoken with the filmmakers and attended a post-screening Q&A with all of them - including Nev - it seemed quite clear that virtually everything in the film was real. They all got quite emotional when discussing the events of the film, which seemed to take them on, if you'll forgive the cliche, an emotional roller-coaster. And anyway, the revelations in the third act would be extremely difficult to fake with any level of effectiveness. And those revelations are so bizarre and un-sensationalistic that you'd have to ask yourself, if someone were going to fake a documentary, is THAT what they would have come up with? Really?

No. The movie is real. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if Nev's friends did somewhat suspect that something was up, but that the actual surprises were just as surprising to them as they are meant to be for us.