Fish Story (2009)

 

Paulo Coelho once wrote in his allegorical novel The Alchemist, “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it” and “It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.” I think those words are the best to describe this clever dark comedy film. Based on a novel by Kotaro Isaka and adapted by Tamio Hayashi, Fish Story or Fisshu sutôrî will explain how a song called Fish Story composed by unpopular Japanese punk band named Gekirin can actually save the world from Armageddon. Going through the movie, the audiences are shown four different stories using non-linear structure storylines taking place at four different points of time, ranging from 1975 to 2012, where a meteor is on a collision course for Earth. Each story seems unrelated and stands on its own, but they are interesting and captivating, like a puzzle, a mystery waiting to be solved. You can find the answer at the end of the movie, and when you do, you’ll feel astonish and satisfy. So make sure you pay enough attention to the film, especially on the characters. The acting was great, I particularly enjoyed Nao Omori, who played the producer that discovered Gekirin and Mirai Moriyama, playing a guy trained since birth to be a champion of justice. Fish Story might seem like an ordinary, but to tell the truth, it’s an extraordinary movie.