Little Fish

last updated 8 January 2015

Most of us try to avoid junkies in real life, said Grady Hendrix in The New York Sun. But actors seem unaccountably drawn to them. Little Fish is obviously an actor's project. It follows ex-junkie and ex-criminal Tracy as she tries to stay straight and start a business. The surprising twist is, it's 'œa worthwhile effort.' Rather than using extended takes and the 'œaffected naturalism' of most actorly movies, Little Fish is 'œshattered into a million shards of multicolored pop imagery.' Bits of background are revealed so tantalizingly that audiences can't help but be riveted. Little Fish isn't cryptic just for the hell of it, said Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly. Director Rowan Woods is showing us his characters as they present themselves to others. He is more interested in the junkie's 'œmode of being, his dependence on secrecy and lying,' than on the rituals of scoring. Much of the credit for the film's beauty goes to Cate Blanchett, said Erin Free in The Hollywood Reporter. As Tracy, she does something rare: 'œplay her age and speak with her own accent.' She's utterly believable in the role, giving Tracy a 'œkind of bruised tenderness.'

Rating: unrated