Bad Day To Go Fishing

Released by: Film Movement
Released on: 2/8/11
Director: ílvaro Brechner
Cast: Gary Piquer, Jouko Ahola, Antonella Costa
Year: 2009
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The Movie:

Professional wrestling promoter Prince Orsini (Gary Piquer) is going around South American villages with the once World Champion wrestler Jacob van Oppen (two-time “World's Strongest Man” winner Jouko Ahola), running a gimmick that entails a contender vying for 1,000 dollars to stay three minutes in the ring with van Oppen. Very early on it is revealed that Orsini never has any intention of ever having someone beat the wrestler and win the prize,His scam is to go into the town, find someone to take the challenge, but then Orsini pays them to throw the match and lose. He collects the earnings and then they split.

This one particular stop in Santa Maria proves to be a bit more or a challenge than usual. The wrestler is depressed, having health trouble, and is tiring of the game. He wants to go back to wrestling for championships. Also, Orsino is approached by Adriana (Antonella Costa), who believes her dim-witted boyfriend and father of her unborn child can beat the Champ. She begs him to allow the match, which he does. But after learning the boyfriend is a giant man who lifts cows and performs other feats of strength and endurance in his every day doings, Orsino has doubts about the ability of van Oppen, and worries he won't beat the challenger. The Prince does not have the money to pay if the challenger wins, nor does he ever.

Sponsorship of the match by the local newspaper complicates things further, and before he knows it Orsino is in over his head. He owes lots of people in the town money now, the match is coming, and he fears things will turn out badly for his wrestler and for him as well.

So what's this got to do with fishing? It's a play on words that's how. Orsino plays the game of going into towns, feeling out the people and how he can swindle them and then leaving people high and dry. This one town proves to be the fish he can't reel in and he wants to cut the line, but the wrestler won't let him. See? He shouldn't have gone fishing for money in that town.

The movie is pretty engaging. It's a talker for sure, in Spanish (subtitled) and sometimes in English, so if you don't like to read movies you may want to pick another movie to watch. But if you don't mind reading subtitles, this film is definitely worth a look. Gary Piquer as Orsino is excellent. He's a bit of a sleaze, but they way he carries himself in the character makes him a sad and lonely man and you feel for the guy. He's trying to make a buck the only way he knows how and it seems to be getting to him. The other major players do a fine job as well. Ahola as the wrestler doesn't say a whole heck of a lot, but his presence on camera is both ominous and depressing. He really plays the his part well, despite his limited on film acting experiences. And Antonella Costa as the antagonist, which she really is in this story, is great as a strong woman who knows what she wants (the $1,000 so she can marry her giant of a boyfriend and get her family on the right path) and is blind to all other things around her as a result.

With a director behind the camera with good photographic sensibilities, Bad Day To Go Fishing is a well-made drama that although is slow at times, it's never painful to sit though. It has enough quirk without being ridiculous and enough movement to avoid being dull. The characters are the real driving force in this one and the movie overall is definitely worth watching.


Video/Audio/Extras:

The film is shown here with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen and for the most part looks fine. There are some areas that show artifacts, mostly in the darker spots, but the image looks clear, skin tones and colors look correct, and there does not appear to be any defects to mention. It's a pretty average quality presentation. The audio is a simple 2.0 Dolbly Digital track and sounds great, with nothing out of the ordinary to mention. The balance is good, the dialogue is clear. The audio is on par with the video. Simple yet satisfactory.

The extras include some text biographies, a trailer for the feature plus other Film Movement DVDs, and a couple of short films the director made prior to Bad Day, his first feature length film. “Sofia” (19:24) is about a young woman who makes herself disappear from her family and loved ones for a number of years, and “The Nine Mile Walk” (20:24), featuring Gary Piquer once again, both of which warrant watching.


The Final Word:

A nice piece of indie filmmaking, Bad Day To Go Fishing has lots to offer by way of the performances and the skills of the writer/director. The two short films added to the package are a nice bonus and only help solidify the director as someone to watch out for. This one is certainly worth a look.