Really Surprised!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

'Goldfish Memory' is a light, bright celebration of our hilarious tendency to learn nothing from experience. Like the goldfish with his 3-second memory, we plunge from one romantic disaster to the next, seemingly incapable of resisting the dizzy thrill of new romance whenever it comes our way. Focussing on a philandering German professor at Trinity College Dublin, who plies his female students with Rilke's poetry (possibly the most unlikely aphrodisiac in movie history - read some to help you sleep), the movie follows the misfortunes of an extended circle of related characters in a connected series of whirlwind romances. Hetero, bi or homosexual, some don't know who they are, one or two don't know where they are. This is Arthur Schnitzler's 'La Ronde' meets 'Love, Actually' and, with no pretensions to high art, is a colourful and poignant celebration of student life and love in the café and pub society of downtown Dublin, Europe's most fun city. Lead actress O'Shaugnessy is destined for great things.

"Goldfish memory" is probably more than what is usually labelled"love movie". The multiplicity of narrative layers and the intertwining of the characters' fates seems to remind of a soap opera scenario at times but the actual reflection on love, presented by the director is probably more sophisticated than the scheme of a soap.In the end, all seems to come down to The Beatles: "All you need is love", even if you don't realise it.A simple but not simplistic phrase, even though used and abused for millennial. One need not be enthusiastic about the movie altogether, the way I wasn't, but perhaps it would be worthwhile to sit back and think if it's really just a movie and how does it fit our idea on emotions.

This is an outstanding film, in every detail. It starts off leaving the viewer a little mixed up, with a mixing of different characters, but soon settles down as all the main actors start to come to life. By the end of the film all the main characters finally make decisions about important matters that affects the rest of their lives.Ken Byrne makes his debut as a cinematographer, and should win "Rookie of the Year" honors, if there was such an award. His shots and locations, both inside and outside, are the best I have ever seen. I am a photographer, with 40 years experience, and have seen thousands of movies, but this one takes the cake.Jean Butler, who we all remember from her leading role in Riverdance, makes her first appearance as just an actress, and does NOT dance at all. A wonderful film that only played in Ireland, but deserves a MUCH larger audience. Rent this movie, if you can!

It would be far too simplistic to label Goldfish Memory as Love Actually meets Queer As Folk (US Version) but there are elements of both productions in this movie.In many ways, this was the movie that "Love Actually" could have been. Unlike "Love Actually" which had too many plot lines going on, this film concentrates on three or four main plot lines and it does them well! But there are also elements of the US version of "Queer As Folk" with its emphasis on the common experience of gay and lesbian culture and the close friendships that gays and lesbians can experience. Mind you, there are shades of Go Fish when Angie describes the rather incestuous nature of a Dublin lesbian dinner party. Curiously enough, Red doesn't appear to have any gay male friends.Actually, the two most rounded, and most interesting characters, were Red (played by Keith McErlean) and Angie (played by Flora Montgomery).And while I really enjoyed seeing the intimacy of their friendship, I was a little disappointed when the plot line went down a predictable path. Actually, a few of the plot lines went down the predictable path and that's what I thought was a weakness in this movie.And because of the predictability, although there are moments of genuine emotion I wasn't especially "touched" by the movie. I also thought there were moments of great implausibility; is everyone in Dublin bisexual, gay or lesbian or at least "on the turn"? The one straight male in this is Tom (played by Sean Campion, a 40 something university lecturer - who bore a remarkable resemblance to a younger Neil Tennant from The Pet Shop Boys - is the real loser. The movie starts and finishes with his tragic pickup lines about the memories of goldfish and reading Goethe in German (didn't Mouse like that in Tales Of The City, too?).Although the version screened in Perth at the Gay & Lesbian Film Festival looked like it had been videotaped off television - complete with screen problems! - the scenery of Dublin was terrific and made me want to go back there. I'd forgotten there were so many bridges over the Liffey.Despite some misgivings, I think it's a good film. And I can really relate to the film's central premise that, as far as love is concerned, human beings are just like goldfish which are said to have three-second memories... we forget how hard love can be when we fall in love again.Anyway, the film comes to a happy ending, so I guess that's a good thing. Really enjoyable!