"Fishing"(***1/2)
There are some pleasant festival surprises in the narrative feature category, few more so than "FISHING," a somewhat conventional love story that nonetheless lingers in the mind on the strength of its direction, cinematography, and acting - especially the acting by the entire cast.
Several of the other feature-length narratives display an ambitious reach - though they don't completely succeed.
"FISHING" is surprising because the 108-minute film is Joseph Lutton's directorial debut as well as his first leading role in a film. Lutton plays Stephen, a drifter who after a three year absence returns home with a guitar in his hand and hope in his heart.
Stephen hopes to restart his old friendships, his relationship with his widowed father, and his love affair with his ex-girlfriend. Only after some imperitive ego surgery does he realize just how difficult that may be.
After severing contact for three years with old friends, his girlfriend Grace, and the last remaining member of his family (his father), an unsettled drifting musician named Stephen Williams returns home to search for the missing pieces in his life. In his uncertainty and his longing for real connection, he begins to stir up emotions in himself and others by acting on conflicted and dangerous impulses.
Laced with humor, universal conflicts, desires and struggles of the heart, we witness the changes in the lives touched by the central character as he follows through with his choices and actions. It is a moving story that addresses our inability to truly grow and make healthy choices in life when we suppress our core feelings.