Fishbowl

I always have mixed feelings regarding films that don’t exactly shed a good light on Christianity specifically. I may not personally like the direction these films go and how Christians are portrayed, but at the same time, if Christians didn’t act like this, they wouldn’t appear this way on screen.

Fishbowl is a very dark and depressing story. Life for the sisters gets worse before it gets better… if it even gets better. As much as it is an indictment on organized religious and extreme faith, the narrative is primarily about Belle, Rachel, and Jessa, who have nowhere to turn but to one another. As crazy as their father is, he still loves his daughters and tries to protect them in his seriously warped way.

“Most of the acting is done in facial expressions, and it works brilliantly.”

All four leads give amazing performances. The spotlight is on Rick Kain, who gives a frighteningly authentic portrayal as a fundamentalist Christian and believe me, I’ve met my fair share. Belle Shickle is the oldest daughter and takes on the typical rebellious teen and protector of her sisters. It’s Belle that Rick has the most trouble controlling, and it’s this dynamic that’s interesting to watch. Anytime Belle thinks about standing up for herself, she’s put down, and this conflict with her father plays out like a low-key game of chess.

The other star of the film is its cinematographer Levi Magyar. Every shot is interesting, particularly when the family attends church for the first time in a long time. There’s a certain swagger of the family that the camera captures. It’s then juxtaposed with the subtle (and not-so-subtle) looks of the judgmental congregants. There’s not much dialogue in the movie, and most of it is religious in nature. Most of the acting is done in facial expressions, and it works brilliantly, showing words and visuals in perfect balance.

Fishbowl is worth recommending as a dark story of extreme religious faith and beautifully told. I’m not always a fan of anti-religious films. Mainly, no one wants your family’s dirty laundry exposed. But the story of this family is compelling and will have you thinking long after it’s over.