Robert M Young likes to do less with more. He's not bad at a sort of pale realism - his movies always feel like they could really happen, as if his scenes are less orchestrated than, well, caught. It's just that the worlds he captures, often in spite of their component elements, aren't very interesting ones. I am rarely compelled to finish one of his movies, and I rarely do. This, though he works all the time with one of the best actors in the business, who is also one of my very favorites: Edward James Olmos.CAUGHT is a credible, competent, thoroughly boring film composed of really exciting ingredients. Aside from a centerpiece of dueling Oedipal tragedies, it features forbidden love, a suitcase full of money, a mysterious drifter, a murderous stand-up comic, Olmos with a knife in his hand, and Maria Conchita Alonso naked. How could this possibly be less than entertaining? Well, set it in a fish market, for one thing; then have your mysterious drifter - who turns out to be not only not mysterious but not even very unusual - act the whole movie with a single look on his face. Then make none of the elements matter any more than any of the others, so instead of packed with thrills it's just a tired mess. Stir weakly and serve tepid.

Nick (Aire Verveen), a young Irish starving drifter, is helped by Joe (Edward James Olmos), the owner of a small fish market in New Jersey, and his wife Betty (Maria Conchita Alonso). They feed and bring him home, to work with Joe in the fish market. They also offer lodging for a period in the room of their son Danny (Steven Schub), who moved to Hollywood, looking for success as a performer and actor. Nick is treated like a son, working in the store and learning how to trade and handle with fishes. Pretty soon, he becomes Joe's best friend. Meanwhile, a huge company makes an offer for buying Joe's establishment, but he refuses the offer. Betty seduces Nick and they become lovers. The cuckold Joe trusts in Nick and cannot imagine the affair between Betty and Nick. Betty asks Nick to convince Joe to sell the fish market to improve their lives and Joe decides to accept the offer of US$ 750,000.00. The relationship of Joe's family changes when Danny returns home, with his wife and son. The selfish Danny, full of jealousy and greed, begins a game of intriguing, ending in a very tragic way. This film is the proof that a low-budget movie may work, since supported by a good screenplay and excellent casting. A very credible and cruel story, with an amoral and realistic end, not indicated for romantic viewers. My vote is seven.

"Caught" is a tight, ensemble drama which does something few films can do. It offers solid character development and explores the range of human emotion while telling a story with real depth and fidelity. Perfectly cast and executed, "Caught" peers into the lives of a middle aged couple who own a NYC fish market as a hired man becomes more than just a friend displacing their wayward adult son by day, the work-a-day husband by night, and acts as a catalyst for some compelling situations and performances. An excellent watch for mature audiences into psychodramas sans Tinseltown's usual hype and glitz.

This could have been your run of the mill erotic thriller with the tired plot of lonely couple takes in drifter, drifter has affair with woman, etc. However with superb acting by the entire cast, good writing and direction this goes beyond the genre. After Schub appears in the last part, the movie gets even better. Denoument comes fast and furious. I kept expecting it to lapse into cliches, but it never did. I do not understand the last scene with Alonso, but this is a must see sleeper.