Meebo is fascinated by fish and everything marine life really. Her young life revolves around it, so much so that her grades are suffering and people doubt her capacity to have a career. As she grows up, she attempts many fields of work until she gets back to her first love.
Written by Shirô Maeda and Shûichi Okita and based on the life and work of Sakana-Kun, the film is directed by Shûichi Okita who brings this tale to the screen in what can only be described as a mix of drama, comedy, and children’s tale. The film very much starts off as a kids’ movie with a ton, performances, and a score that makes it feels very much like a late 70s/early 80s French kids’ film, down the score that would be at home in a forest tale such as Pierre et le Loup. The film then evolves with its lead, going through high school, then becoming a young adult. This leads to tonal shifts that are rather welcomed as it makes the film evolve with the character. However, the film eventually loses some steam in that it takes forever to get anywhere, there are many small elements thrown in there that don’t really develop or lead to much, and eventually the 139 minutes runtime becomes too much. This is a film with its heart in the right place, but is also a film that could have used some serious trimming to give it a better pace and eliminate some of the sequences that just don’t bring much to the story. There is a ton in there, so yes, there is something for everyone. However, there is so much in there that the story and direction get a bit lost.
The cast here is strong, from the kids to the adults. There is a whimsy element to the script and everyone is fully committed to it as if it were totally normal throughout the film. The characters are based on real folks, but they feel more like fairytale characters the way they are brought to life here. The lead, as adult Meebo is Non and her work here is charming, vulnerable, and passionate. She does fantastic bringing Meebo to life here and brings her to life to be a character that doesn’t overstay her welcome in the above-mentioned overly long runtime. She makes it easy to watch the film here thankfully. Her child counterpart (who’s name is not on the IMDB page and the credits for the film were not exactly easy to read for some) does amazing work. She’s charming, adorable, and full of energy. The rest of the cast here is supportive as this film is all about Meebo and they do decent to strong work, few of them really coming off as anything below good.
The cinematography by Yasuyuki Sasaki works with the film, which sounds like a bland way of saying it’s right for the story, but not particularly standing out. The film has a very nostalgia tint to it at first, which eventually seems to vanish, changing the mood of the film as Meebo ages. This is something that had to be thought out and planned and it works here. In terms of the images themselves, there are a few sequences that are more memorable than the others, but overall, this film has a look that takes the backseat to the story. Going with these images and being a bit stronger in terms of impression it leaves is the score by Pascals. This score feels very much like a fairytale at first and evolves with the lead and her story, keeping a charm to it that is most definitely on point and charming.
The Fish Tale is a film about a girl who is obsessed with fish and that does a good job of showing her passion. However, while the film has a fantastic score and some great performances, it becomes too long at about the 90 minutes mark, leaving the viewer looking at the clock a few times throughout and even more so after that point. The story is fun, but the overly long film robs it a bit of the attention it should be given.
Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 runs from July 14th to August 3rd, 2022