Award winning short film A Fish Out of Water demands your attention with a simple premise, cool esthetics and an overbearing atmosphere carefully put in place by writer/director Miguel Verduzco.
Following the time-tested formula, A Fish Out of Water presents us with a slice of life from the day-to-day activities of a troubled, lonely hitman. Reminiscent both in subject matter and tone to masterpieces such as Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï, Verduzco's short succeeds in immersing us into the world of someone with whom we cannot and should not empathize otherwise, as he contemplates his past & future, the dead-ends of life & his capacity for love as he sees himself swimming in a fishbowl as limiting as his goldfish's own.
What is more, the theme of imprisonment and compassion as a way out is carried not only through dialogue, but in the way the film is shot. Careful consideration has been given to color choices, shadows and music, to portray the protagonist's gray private moments, the darkness of his activities, as well as the bright moments of human interaction and understanding as punctuated by drops of colorful light against the dark. Furthermore, the editing is slow and pensive when it needs to be, and the short is perhaps only let down by some unconvincing line delivery at points by the cast.
In conclusion, A Fish Out of Water combines the elements of social drama & classic hitman-with-a-heart-of-gold movies, tied up in a stylish, minimalist package, with a surprisingly far-reaching message about self-imposed imprisonment and limitations.
