A Vida dos Peixes

La vida de los peces starts out with an abrupt conversation, in which Andrés, a journalist working for travel magazines, just returned to Chile after 10 years of absence. His friends asked him if he has "talked to her," referring to Andrés's ex-girlfriend Bea. As Andrés and Bea finally encounter each other and strike a conversation (after spending much time avoiding the subject they want to talk about - that is their relationship), we discover the reason Andrés left town and went to Germany, Bea's current married life, and that they still have (lots of) feelings left for each other. While the setting is purposely made to be a confined space crowded with people, strangers and friends alike, the winding paths Andrés and Bea took to avoid each other and to finally meet each other are the journeys to find themselves, especially Andrés. Regardless of the ending (and they say it's not the end that matter, but rather the process of getting there), I really enjoyed the conversations between the two protagonists that seem very realistic, the strangely romantic moments where they were just standing there looking at goldfish circling around recounting their memories of the past, and especially the final scene, which must have been one of the best ending scenes ever in all the movies that I have seen.

a trip in middle of a world. ordinary pieces of a party. a kind of Ulises. a kind of Itaca. only Penelope is different. because the object of introspection is the possibility of past to be another future. dialogs, silence, gestures, each - level of a smoke ladder. pieces of a broken vase. or only, old seeds on the empty land. a film like a mirror. or only shadow of possibilities as drawing lines. because the return, meetings, courtesy are only cages for dead birds.slices of fiction in heart of expectations. illusions. all is an aquarium. a large aquarium. in a house, for a stranger, like self lie as only way to accept the past. a beautiful film. like a memento mori.

A very good movie from the Director Matías Vize. Sometimes the atmosphere of the movie is brilliant, a lot of feelings inside, moments with good times of silence, when the silence says a lot of things, and sometimes nothing to say is better to know how the feelings are.

Very good actors, specially Blanca Lewin, she is brilliant to communicate a lot of things without says nothing, only with the facial things. I love the movie, and you never know how is gonna end.

During the movie is possible to see very good actors who show us that the Chileans filming industry is young but have a very good future.

If you like watching movies like "El secreto de sus ojos" or "En la cama" you ar gonna enjoy this.

Excellent movie!! Enjoy it.

I had never seen a Chilean film before the 'Life of Fish' was screened during a Spanish language film festival here in Perth, Western Australia.

I do not understand how MdIndeHond could find this film boring, I was mesmerised by its slow pace, the use of silence (there was almost no soundtrack), the constraint of filming the entire action within the confines of a house, the believable characters and dialogue and the utterly compelling acting.

'Life of Fish' may appeal more to older viewers than 20-somethings. I certainly am aware of missed opportunities in my own life and could relate to Andres dilemma.

If 'Life of Fish' is typical of the quality of Chilean film making then I shall certainly make an effort to see any other Chilean films that happen to reach 'the most isolated major city in the world'.

The Life of Fish is a very accomplished little movie from Chile. Andres, a travel guide who is frequently traveling the world has a brief stop in Chile where he attends a friend's birthday party. In addition to seeing old friends, he meets an old flame in the party. They used to be in love once but now she is a divorced mum with two kids. This reunion leads them to re-examine their relationship and why they never married each other. Will she take the plunge and leave her kids with their father and join Andres on his travels? Life of Fish is played in real time and at the end you feel as though you've spent a very worthwhile 83 minutes. It is sensitively directed and beautifully acted. The soundtrack is also terrific. It is, in many ways, reminiscent of Richard Linklater's Before Sunset.