Two orphaned boys, Dylan and Jez (Dan Futterman and
Stuart Townsend), are roaming the streets of London and
pursuing part-time work when they chance to meet each other
and develop a scam that surpasses all their previous ones
with the ultimate objective of buying a mansion and living their
lives happily ever after.
SHOOTING FISH
(c)copyright: Polygram Filmed Entertainment
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Dylan is quick talking and Jez is quick
thinking, so they would appear to be the perfect couple. Along
the way, they develop a meaningful relationship with a girl
named Georgie (Kate Beckinsale) whom they originally hired
as a typist to assist them in their work. A doctor in training,
she has enough intelligence to suspect something illegal and
immoral is afoot, but, luckily, can be easily assured this is not
the case through the manipulative boys' word of honor (which
she readily accepts). Well, why not? One is an attractive,
clean cut, spotless, slick, smiling, dyslexic American (just the
type to trust?) and the other is a shy, awkward, sensitive,
Beatle-haired, computer-savvy Irishman. And so this modern
day Jules and Jim trio frolic their way through town and
country as the boys rip off everyone they can and the girl's
distrust slowly evolves into love. Georgie admires the boys'
dedication to accumulating a fortune which will be donated to
bettering the lives of needy orphans. Just a bunch of laughs.
If only the film followed suit. The one clever twist in the tale
occurs when their car is broken into and they wreak revenge
on the culprit by setting him up and turning the tables on him.
The rest of the movie is sadly an obvious attempt to be too
clever by half and hope that the audience will fall in love with
the cute little characters.
Nickolas Grace as Mr. Stratton-Luce seems to have fallen
from, for those who remember his impressive performance
many years ago in TV's "Brideshead Revisited". Annette
Crosby of TV's "One Foot in the Grave" fleetingly appears (as
if she were only there for her name to be used on the cast list)
and then disappears into her home again (hopefully setting tea
for Victor). The three leads, attractive and talented, do a
competent job in a boring escapade.
The title could more aptly be changed for American release
into "Sitting Ducks" and the audience might be better off
shooting themselves beforehand.
© 1994-2006 The Green Hartnett
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