As I mentioned in my review of An Honest Liar, the Tribeca Film Festival’s greatest strength is documentaries, but with a plethora of great ones there are bound to be ones that make you scratch your head wondering how they were selected or, in some instances, question why they were even made. The latter is the case with first-time documentary filmmaker Andrew Renzi’s 61 minute cowboy documentary Fishtail.
Here’s the Tribeca Film Festival synopsis for the film: “The iconic voice and noble philosophies of Harry Dean Stanton accentuate this authentic look at life on the edge of the wilderness. Cowboys, roaring campfires, and vast landscapes—those hallmarks of the American West—punctuate director Andrew Renzi’s glimpse into a rugged lifestyle few Americans still pursue. Following the cowboys of Montana’s Fishtail Basin Ranch as they survive another calving season, Renzi captures the texture of pastoral life, highlighting its cyclical and untainted essence. Suffused with rustic beauty, this atmospheric documentary observes this idealized occupation with an honest eye. Set to a seraphic score, Stanton would agree, this is a film for “those of earth-born passion.””
On paper, this synopsis/review of Fishtail sounds rather fascinating for an America as it promises a rustic, authentic look at the American West that still manages to survive in remote areas of the county. It’s the reason I decided to see the film in the first place but when the end credits began rolling I felt deceived because, while the above may have been accurate when it comes to overall idea, it’s not nearly as atmospheric and engaging as it sounds.
Here’s the (my) synopsis for the film. Fishtail is about two cowboys living on a Montana ranch who round up their cattle, feed them, tag them, cut the testicles off the baby males, and watch the pregnant ones give birth during calving season. In essence, it’s a movie about two men doing their job and we are there simply as a witness to see how it all works. Not exactly the most thrilling or interesting premise for a doc if you ask me.
There are certainly beautiful scenic shots of Montana in between cuts of baby cows getting fixed, but if I really wanted to see how cattle is raised I could go to any farm that has a few of them and see it for myself, it’s hardly a something people would flock to watch on a TV screen let alone a movie screen. The main reason I’m so upset with the film is because it doesn’t tell us anything, seriously. The subjects don’t offer commentary as to why they remain cowboys or how hard it is to live (if it’s even hard at all) as one. As a filmmaker, don’t you think the audience would want to know what it’s like to be part of a dying breed? Maybe I’m looking at it wrong and this is an attempt to make a poetic documentary, but regardless of what it is, this is a film without a real narrative or something to pull us in and make us care.
Overall, Fishtail is a documentary that lacks everything you expect from a good film except for decent cinematography. It’s a doc that I don’t think PBS would even show on their channel due to a lack of information and audience engagement. Unless you’re extremely interested in seeing how a cow is born and what’s it’s like to work with cattle I suggest using the internet to save an hour of your life.
Rating: Though easy on the eyes, this doc is as interesting as watching cattle eat hay (2/10)
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