2022 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Summer has just turned to fall in Switzerland, and the fun in the sun that would typically be found at the public pool “Rössli” is no longer present. As the lifeguard (Monika Varga) watches over an empty pool, a patron, Verema (Vreni Brun), wants just one thing from the bistro, Fish Fingers. The empty pool and the frustrating guest lend themselves to an irritating time at Rössli, but the arrival of a wedding party promises to make things a bit more interesting.
What do you say about a film where nothing happens? How do you appropriately convey with words the nothing that has taken place? Short answer: you can’t. What I can express is how vigorously funny Fish Fingers is from beginning to end. There is an awkwardness that exists throughout the film’s entirety, but I can’t tell if it’s intentional or not. Regardless, the awkwardness of the entire thing is cringey and funny.
As Varga’s lifeguard sits in wait for someone to do something, anything, viewers can feel how uncomfortable and bored she is–and that fact resonates with those viewers. We’ve all been in situations at work or at a social event when time just appears to stand still, and looking back on those experiences, I’m sure that many of us feel the need to laugh about what had occurred. Fish Fingers capitalizes on this and pulls viewers back into this uncomfortablity allowing them to feel one with the lifeguard.
For those of you who have never worked in customer service (or any job where you deal with the public) I feel bad for you. As infuriating as the job can be sometimes–but that’s true of any job–the people you meet and the ridiculous things that you see while working are just incredible. That’s where Verema and her waiter (Aurelio Ghirardelli) come in, and they brilliantly express the truths about working in customer service. The waiter continuously tells Verema that fish fingers are no longer on the menu due to the fact that the season has come to an end, but she refuses to accept this as an answer to her request. Fish Fingers sees the stubborn woman repeatedly order the same, unavailable dish. This scene is so honest, so down to earth, and so relatable that I couldn’t help but to laugh out loud over and over again. I can think of times when a customer just didn’t understand what I was trying to say, and the ridiculousness of it all will make even the most stubborn viewer chuckle.
In order to capture the awkwardness and the honesty of all that transpires throughout Fish Fingers, the cinematography has to capture things at just the right angle. Rather than always seeing closeups of the subjects on screen, cinematographer Rokas Sydeikis shows viewers the bigger picture, exacerbating the humor and the discomfort to an incredible scale. The comedy and awkwardness that exists throughout the film is what guides it–and Sydeikis brings it to life. Nothing happens, but everything makes sense–Fish Fingers is a hit.
Written & Directed by Lars Mulle.
Starring Vreni Brun, Aurelio Ghirardelli, Monika Varga, Greta Massie, Thomas Massi, Brigitte Gautschi, Jan-David Bolt, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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