Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8409 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-04-12
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Shooting Fish is the kind of movie that evaporates once the end credits roll, but it's lightweight fun while it lasts. An amusing prologue sets the tone: two young orphan boys--one in America, one in England--demonstrate their precocious ability to subvert the strict rules of society. Eighteen years later, the clever Yankee schemer Dylan (Dan Futterman) and techno-geek Jez (Stuart Townsend) are fast friends in London, pulling off a series of royal scams to finance their dream of building a luxurious home for orphans--of course, it's a selfish cause since they're the orphans. Their newly hired secretary Georgie (played by the delightful Kate Beckinsale) goes along with their con games in the belief that their intentions are good, and when she discovers their selfish motivations... well, let's just say the boys (who are both smitten with the charming medical student Georgie) manage to rise to the occasion and do the right thing. Despite a few clever twists, this frothy plot meanders too much to be very involving, but the three young co-stars make it all worthwhile. (Futterman had already played Robin Williams's son in The Birdcage and Beckinsale made a strong impression in The Last Days of Disco.) It's one of those featherweight British comedies that's so good-natured you feel Scroogey if you resist it, and director and co-writer Stefan Schwartz has made the movie just smart enough to hold its own against a wall-to-wall soundtrack of kitschy pop songs. If you don't consider "cute" a derogatory term, this movie will offer an agreeable diversion. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Featurette
Actor's Research
Soundbites
B-Roll

Synopsis
Two young London con artists, one British, one American, live as lonely bachelors in their secret hideout apartment thinking of new ways to financially fleece their victims. When they hire Georgie, their new secretary, they don't take into account the effect she will have on their hearts. A great British pop soundtrack and the resplendent Kate Beckinsale do wonders for this breezy entry.

Customer Reviews

A classic emblem of 1990s
Shooting Fish is a first class film. Stefan Schwartz had great difficulty obtaining backing for the picture because there was no 'issue' being addressed or 'subject'under investigation.It's strange that this 'social' approach should hold such sway because both artistically and economically (it grossed huge amounts in the opening weekend) the film is fantastic. The mixture of 90s Britpop/indie tracks, plesantly textured settings and upbeat storyline create a great couple of hours entertainment which knock other 90s Brit-Pics like The Full Monty & Up'N Under into a cocked hat. A classical/costume actress from Chiswick coupled with relatively unknown Irish & American talent could've been a disaster but the on screen charm of Beckinsale,Futterman & Townsend is brilliant. There is usually somebody you don't take to in light budget movies, somebody innapropriate but I can honestly say this is one film where you'll take them all to your heart. It remains one of the secret triumphs of British cinema in the last 20 years-well done Stefan & cast!

The film of the Britpop era
I grew up in the Britpop era - it collided almost suspiciously with my teenage years. For me, Shooting Fish defined the attitude of the era - confident but cheeky, carefree, and with a great soundtrack :-)

The film is competent both as a comedy and love story, and manages to create a world that you want to be a part of. The main characters are orphans, one dyslexic (and American) - the other geeky, and they live high up in a disused gas tank (presumably somewhere in Greater London...) Their home is remarkable, with fairy lights and a bridge across the water sealant, and quite a collection of gadgets and junk.. suffice to say, I would love to live there ;)

Unsatisfied with this location, however, the pair embark on a series of 'madcap' schemes to win a million - from competitions on the back of cereal packets to thousand-pound computer scams. The modern day Robin Hoods want to buy a stately home to use as an orphanage for those like them...

There is a catch, however - Kate Beckinsale's character (pre Pearl Harbor, thank God) has motives of her own, and after helping the pair out as a receptionist, could she thwart their plans..?

This is a great film which requires a small disconnect between brain and eyes - it's not exactly realistic, but it is great fun, and well worth watching (at least once!)

Hidden Gem
This is one of the few films that I went to see twice when it was on at the cinema. It really captured my imagination and fuses humour with a unique storyline and superb acting. As another reviewer mentioned, the familiar settings of the film and cultural references made it easy to relate to. There's enough irony to balance the slightly absurd plot (who can forget the trip to the new musical "Dogs"?)and the music is well chosen and compliments the up-beat and "hip" feel of the film.