A couple fights to hold their relationship together as a memory loss virus spreads and threatens to erase the history of their love and courtship.
Memory loss is an affliction that is plagued with tragedy, forcing individuals to live a life void of identity, origins, and familiar loved ones without even realizing the loss. Memory loss is the pandemonium in “Little Fish,” and it is specifically referred to as ‘NIA’ or ‘neuroinflammatory affliction.’ It is a narrative filled with constant fear and trepidation as Emma (Olivia Cooke) and Jude (Jack O’Connell) attempt to resist the consequences of the disease but ultimately fall victim to the same grief that exposes the fragile nature of humanity against a pandemic.
It’s easy to feel like the special case when tragedy strikes, even if a billion other people are sharing the same tragedy. That is the subliminal mindset that motivates Emma and Jude to hold onto amidst the pandemonium caused by NIA. At first, the two remain in a rather distant bubble from the rest of society’s panic, shying away from the strange occurrences of bus drivers suddenly leaving the bus mid-shift or car accidents happening left and right, or people wandering the streets without name or meaning. It is a tragedy, but it is still someone else’s tragedy. However, when Jude starts experiencing symptoms, both Emma and Jude are forced to grapple with its implications. How do you find acceptance when the person you love the most is destined to forget you?
Suddenly, Emma finds herself unable to sleep and attempting to research every night to find a possible solution. Jude’s progression into forgetfulness only serves to push Emma into further denial than give her time to find acceptance. Emma became stubborn, refusing to believe that Jude’s diagnosis of NIA is the same NIA that affects the outer world. She could keep Jude and his memory alive, somehow. We witness how the beginning of tragedy creates a false premise of being the special case, isolating yet motivating. However, over time, we watch as Emma and Jude have to find acceptance and in turn, find a way to grieve without being undermined by someone else’s version of a shared tragedy.
Olivia Cooke plays the perfect wide-eyed and hopeful visionary of a woman who continues to lie to herself to protect herself from loss. She is vulnerable yet stubborn, strong against the panic that surrounds her but weak against the constant reminders of Jude’s descent into forgetfulness. Cooke displays strong acting, depicting both a loving wife but also a wife who feels conflictingly betrayed by her husband’s infidelity to their memory – even if that remains out of his control. Her chemistry amplifies her expressions of loving panic by her chemistry with O’Connell, and it is the foundation of the emotional punch that can only be delivered by relationships heading towards inevitable doom.
O’Connell, on the other hand, is the necessary balance to Cooke’s portrayal of a hyper-aware and sensitive Emma. O’Connell excels at playing the rather unimpressive character who still offers the most grounding energy to the film – almost necessary to balance out the eccentricity of the NIA pandemonium. Thus, Jude is slow to the uptake and slow to action, but he is quicker at finding acceptance with his circumstances.
“Little Fish” may be weak in its attempt to create a scientifically sound premise of a memory loss pandemic, but it remains strongly devoted to the love story between Emma and Jude. The film almost feels like watching Emma and Jude’s struggle unfold in slow motion due to its impending doom. However, the ending tragedy is still a silently detonating emotional bomb that loops back to the beginning to create a strong film dedicated to the bittersweetness of ephemeral love.
In Select Theaters and on VOD February 5th
