Building consistent characters in a short film is a rare triumph and as challenging to achieve as in short prose. Not coincidentally, it is obvious that the creative team behind the short film ‘Gone Fishing‘ seems to be familiar, on the one hand, with the synthetic suggestiveness and the technique of capturing those quintessential particularities to define a character, as is the case with excellent authors such as J.D. Salinger or Alice Munro. At the same time, the dialogical convention with theatrical touches of the interaction between the two characters, captured in a limited time and space, proves a solid artistic background and impressive artistic maturity. Beyond these aspects, the short film takes a refreshingly original thematic approach, subtly challenging patriarchal prejudices through its two male protagonists.
After one of their friends commits suicide, two men meet for the sake of the good old days. But the tragic event insidiously creeps back into their conversation, inviting them to speak perhaps more freely than ever about their fears and hopes.
Here we have a slice of everyday life, a tender X-ray of masculinity, shaped and constrained by the very stereotypes rooted in patriarchal ideology. In a society where physical and emotional vulnerability, along with fear and sadness, are labeled as purely ‘feminine’ and therefore incompatible with ‘manliness,’ we risk self-sabotage through a profound inability to hear and respond to the suffering of others. Although emotionally resonant, Christopher Deakin’s short film avoids melodrama and does not turn into a harsh critique of the current situation. The images follow one another with a disarming naturalness, free of showy artifices, yet professionally supported by two excellent actors and a cleverly constructed script that frames this intimate ‘huis clos’ confession. ‘Gone Fishing’ is the product of a mature directorial vision, attentive to the visible and invisible nuances that define a friendship, just as Christopher Deakin’s short film is a beautiful plea for normality.
