An action-packed slog

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Starting off this movie seemed kind of interesting and quirky. It definitely had the potential to be a good, off beat romantic comedy, but sadly it just falls flat. The lack of character and relationship development makes the story seem rather sterile and leaves you not really believing or caring about the characters. Things just seemed kind of rushed, as if the director was trying to put too much story, and relationships, into a too little time frame which leaves the viewer withdrawn and unable to form an emotional bond with any of the characters. I would have liked to see more about the relationship between the sheriff and his father, as well as a longer courtship between Sif and Joe. The story line just seemed very disjointed and unable to take advantage of it's full potential. I could not say I really did not like it, was just disappointed it was not as good as it could have been and turned out to be a bellow average romantic comedy.

"Feed the Fish" is one of those quirky, dark comedies set in the dead of winter in the dead of Wisconsin. That's what I thought it was, and I was mostly right. "Dark" is the part that I was wrong about. But forgive me because it started in Venice, California with our hero Joe (Ross Partridge) talking about his successful children's book "Mr. Kitty Feeds the Fish" which was a hit because kids love violence! The irreverent humour at the beginning — like how there will likely be a lawsuit if his second book has kids stuck under the ice, or when his best friend was flushed down a toilet — eroded into a predictable romantic comedy. I do love the fusion of different genres and I even like romantic comedies, but the beginning was better than what it became.Suffering from writer's block, Joe is off to Ellison Bay, Wisconsin with a friend. JP is there for the Polar Bear Plunge, Joe is there for rejuvenation. But upon arrival, Joe meets a girl, and JP meets with a joke that doesn't work, a badger attacked his groin area. There were a whole series of re-attaching testicle jokes—none of them work.The girl is beautiful, single, smart, strong and independent. Of course she is, she's the main squeeze, supporting character, did you expect her to be anything less than perfect? But her father is a gun-toting, unpleasant sheriff (Tony Shalhoub) and Joe has to prove that he's worthy of his daughter's affections."Feed the Fish" would have been funnier, more original, and authentic if they stayed with the dark comedy beginning. For every witty joke, there would be two disctinctly unfunny jokes (usually about testicles and/or a badger), which is too bad because this is a better movie than that.

Saw it on Netflix streaming movies. Mostly little-known actors but Shaloub and Corbin give it street cred.The story revolves around Ross Partridge as Joe Peterson, author living in California and seemingly happily engaged to a pretty lady. But Joe has writer's block after his first, wildly successful children's book, and he is getting grief from inside and from outside.Christmas is approaching and the story gets kicked into gear when Joe decides to go with his friend to a very remote, very snowy part of upper Wisconsin, hoping to gain some inspiration.Not long after he arrives he meets Katie Aselton as pretty and single Sif Andersen, working in the local café'. She is sweet and happens to be attracted to Joe. But in this small community where everyone knows everyone else, things will be complicated by Tony Shalhoub as the local Sheriff Andersen, who happens to be Sif's over-protective dad. Also a factor is the grandpa, Barry Corbin as Axel Andersen.(Note, the ages don't quite work out, as Corbin was 68, Shaloub was 55, and Aselton was 30. But Corbin acts like an 80-year-old.) So the movie is about Joe settling into this community and he and Sif starting to build up their relationship, all the while several old issues are addressed by all the characters.Nice, small movie, I enjoyed most of it but didn't really feel like the writers came up with a very interesting resolution. The last scenes did not do justice to all that came before in the movie.SPOILERS: Naturally the ex-girlfriend who virtually chased Joe away showed up unannounced, eager to "forgive him." But Joe has found happiness in Wisconsin, he likes Sif, he likes the people, he realized he didn't want his old girlfriend. Sheriff sees him and her one morning through the window, tells his daughter, she thinks he is a two-timing bastage, but after she sees his drawings, including "Sif, the one", and she sees Joe take the polar bear swim with the natives, and sing Christmas carols with the ladies, she realizes that all is good.

Caught the cast and crew premiere of this romantic comedy (a genre I most often hate with a passion --think "New In Town"-- ), at a fine old Green Bay, Wisconsin movie-house this weekend. I presumed I would dislike it. WHAT A SURPRISE. The writer/director must be a comic writer or have hundreds of "funny" bones throughout his body, because there were loud laughs (two or more) during every scene! The film isn't so much about romance, as it pretends to be. It's about community, acceptance, and forgiving others --along with yourself. But COMEDY is so hard to pull off. Yet, wonder of wonders, this film feels REAL. And that makes the humor even funnier. From slapstick to comedy-of-embarrassment, from classic bedroom farce to intellectual jokes, all played equally well. The audience greeted it with consistent, loud laughter throughout the rough-cut. No big stars here, save Tony Shalhoub, but all the players were excellent character actors, up-and-comers, and/or stock roles that shone as brightly as the old pros who came on board. Maybe well see more of Matzdorff.