Goldfish Memory

This Irish film takes its title from the reported shortness of a goldfish's memory, which supposedly lasts only three seconds - enough time for it to swim around its bowl, and then its memory starts over again. "Goldfish Memory" could be described as a less pretentious and more natural "Love Actually": an ensemble cast forms a mosaic of love and sex in Dublin.

In Dublin Tom, a 40 something literature lecturer, tries it on with any of his female students that are gullible enough. Clara, his latest conquest takes it badly when he moves on and repeat the cycle with one of his new students and she decides to try women. The woman she tries is Angie a newscaster. Meanwhile Angie's best mate is Red, a gay guy who works days as a bicycle messenger. Our cyclist has romantic issues of his own as he becomes smitten with David the hunky but straight bartender whose girlfriend is giving HIM grief. The film progresses on various interactions between these people and how each and every one of them go through the whole gamut of emotional lifecycle including falling in love, heart break, realizing the true meaning of life and getting love back in life.

It is a light hearted merry-go-round of romantic entanglements and while none of the stories are terribly touching or new, they are passably written and enjoyable. The characters are charming and pleasant to look at if none too deep. The good thing is that the director discusses gay, straight, lesbian relationships with humor and tenderness, never being heavy-handed or moralistic. She clearly is not concerned about being too deep or serious, but still manages to create some smart dialogue. The characters were all charming and pleasant.

It is one of those romantic gay comedies that I like depending on mood and yes this time my mood was good. (6.5/10)