The documentary Catfish is kind of sad. I say this because it is full of disappointment. Disappointing relationships and lifestyles. Abby's mom, Angela, was definitely exploitative and manipulating, but her reasoning behind doing so evokes some sympathy. Angela explains that her life did not turn out the way that she had hoped. Also, as we could see, her life is in no way easy because of how much she has to care for their two handicapped sons -- who are not even her biological sons. Angela’s husband, unfortunately, appears to not be the best husband as he acts nonchalant about the whole situation. When the husband is asked about Angela coming to him with concerns about the disappointment or unhappiness she feels, his answer suggests he basically shuts her down when she does. It is understandable, with the way that she feels, why Angela would reach out to Nev and try to form a relationship. Angela talks about how “fragments” of herself were in every identity and FaceBook profile she created. Angela is vicariously living through her imagination and the internet. When Nev finally confronts Angela about the truth, one of the first comments he makes is about her strong imagination. Although Angela’s side of the story is sad, it is true that Nev’s part in it all is disappointing and unfair. Even though Angela’s identity was a lie, the relationship and connection that her and Nev formed was genuine. Nev did want to handle the situation and Angela’s feelings carefully, as he said repeatedly that he didn't want to make it about embarrassing her. However, the disappointment and betrayal did take a toll on Nev. Towards the end of the documentary we can see how hurt he was by Angela’s compulsive lying and stories. Today's technology makes it so easy to escape reality. Whether that be by pretending to be someone else or following other people's lives. We might see Nev as a victim, but Angela is also a victim of loneliness and a simply exhausting life.
4 comments:
I totally agree with you Natalie. I think that Angela was a victim, maybe not in the same sense Nev was but I definitely feel sad for her. She did have a hard life and wanted to escape her reality. And I also agree that disappointment was also a big factor in the film.
It is quite sad how far she went just to convince Nev that all these different people were real. And one too thinks, does that mean that Angela was cheating on her husband by sexting Nev? Or was that merely the "Meg portion" of Angela's mind speaking?
I never felt bad for her because continued lying until the very end.
Angela lied until the very end about being these people. I feel no sympathy for her at all. Shes horrible
Post a Comment