A Bad Day to Go Fishing (Mal día para pescar) is the story of wrestling champion Jacob van Oppen (Jouko Ahola) and his conniving manager, Orsini (who calls himself ‘The Prince’) (Gary Piquer). Arriving in a Santa Maria with the promise of $1000 for anyone who can stay in the ring with the champ for three minutes, the story unfolds at a steady pace which may seem, in light of mainstream cinema, quite slow. The pace is not surprising given that the film is based upon a short story, but the film itself does not suffer the difficulties of expansion. Though it doesn’t seek to add unnecessary detail, the space within the film allows for greater depth and intricacy. The cinematography by Álvaro Gutiérrez is at all times wonderful – it is incredibly visually satisfying to see a cinematographer who focuses on his craft consistently, even in the simplest of scenes. The technique capitalises on a soft desaturation and indulges in simplistic composition. Visually, this film cannot be faulted.
Gary Piquer as Prince Orsini reminds me strangely of Ron Silver’s West Wing character Bruno Gianelli (and I’ll admit, there is a slight visual similarity also) but instead of being rewarded for his intelligent angling, he soon finds out that, in a small town protective of its own people, his tangled ways might come back to haunt him. Jouko Ahola begins the film as the quiet character Jacob, portrayed as a dumb athlete and little more, but throughout the film his character deepens, and sheds light on a beautiful intricacy between Jacob and Orsini, two strangers in a town most suspicious.
A Bad Day to Go Fishing is startlingly beautiful at times. Without spoiling the ending, there is a climactic scene which, under the direction of Álvaro Brechner and cinematographer Álvaro Gutiérrez, provokes a poignant contemplation from a scene which elsewhere, may have easily been sensationalised, both visually and dramatically. Music by Mikel Salas, both in this scene and elsewhere, is impressive without being intrusive. Everything in A Bad Day to Go Fishing seems to be measured beautifully to create a touching story without melodrama.
By Sam Webster
A Bad Day to go Fishing/Mal día para pescar is screening at the following times:
Sydney: Sunday, 16th May – 3:30pm (Palace Norton Street)
Melbourne: Friday, 21st May – 6:30pm (Palace Cinema Como)
Brisbane: Monday, 24th May- 7:00pm (Palace Cinema Centro)
[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_dYDNnXiew]
Mal día para pescar (A bad day to go fishing) is the story of wrestling champion Jacob van Oppen and his conniving manager, Orsini (who calls himself ‘The Prince’). Arriving in a Santa Maria with the promise of $1000 for anyone who can stay in the ring with the champ for three minutes, the story unfolds at a steady pace which may seem, in light of mainstream cinema, quite slow. The pace is not surprising given that the film is based upon a short story, but the film itself does not suffer the difficulties of expansion. Though it doesn’t seek to add unnecessary detail, the space within the film allows for greater depth and intricacy. The cinematography by Álvaro Gutiérrez is at all times wonderful – it is incredibly visually satisfying to see a cinematographer who focuses on his craft consistently, even in the simplest of scenes. The technique capitalises on a soft desaturation and indulges in simplistic composition. Visually, this film cannot be faulted.
Gary Piquer as Prince Orsini reminds me of Ron Silver’s West Wing character Bruno Gianelli (and I’ll admit, there is a slight visual similarity also) but instead of being rewarded for his intelligent angling, he soon finds out that, in a small town protective of its own people, his tangled ways might come back to haunt him. Jouko Ahola begins the film as the quiet character Jacob, portrayed as a dumb athlete and little more, but throughout the film his character deepens, and sheds light on a beautiful intricacy between Jacob and Orsini, two strangers in a town most suspicious.
A bad day to go fishing is startlingly beautiful at times. Without spoiling the ending, there is a climactic scene which, under the direction of Álvaro Brechner and cinematographer Álvaro Gutiérrez, provokes a poignant contemplation from a scene which elsewhere, may have easilly been sensationalised, both visually and dramatically. Music by Mikel Salas, both in this scene and elsewhere, is impressive without being intrusive. Everything in Mal día para pescar seems to be measured beautifully to create a touching story without melodrama.
- Sam Webster
Mal día para pescar is screening at the following times:
Sydney: Sunday, 16th May, 3:30pm – Palace Norton Street (Leichhardt)
Melbourne: Friday, 21st May, 6:30pm – Palace Cinema Como (South Yarra)
Brisbane: Monday, 24th May 7pm – Palace Cinema Centro (Fortitude Valley)
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