Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" was a big hit in Britain and at Cannes and now tries its hand at America, who will probably nickname it "White Precious." Anchored by a star-making performance from Kate Jarvis, Arnold's film is more grit and zero melodrama, a step-up from the weepy style of "Precious." Jarvis plays Mia, a teenager living in the ghetto where kids expect to follow in the option-less footsteps of their parents. Her little sister (Rebecca Griffiths) is already smoking and emulating skanks on MTV and mom (Kierston Wareing) is a drunk throwing parties with very sketchy friends. Mia has a dream of becoming a dancer and she finds encouragement from mom's new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), a hunky security guard who seems like a nice guy but is, at times, "too friendly." It's familiar other-side-of-the tracks territory but it doesn't spend time wallowing in misfortune. Arnold's film is harsh, and with its use of language (the C and F words are used a lot), dead-end scenery, breathless sexual and violent encounters, and Jarvis' award-worthy portrayal, it's nothing short of compelling. It's a brave performance, a rough-fighter exterior masking youthful vulnerabilities. Fassbender also impresses as a charming/shady character that you're never quite sure has a sexual or fatherly preference toward Mia. It all comes down to a predictable yet scary ending where neglect turns dangerous.

This is a great film. It starts off a bit slow but I believe it serves a purpose. The filmmaker did a great job of portraying the characters in the film but exposing just enough to make the second half of the film come together in a way that helps you see the characters more deeply. Katie Jarvis did a wonderful job in painting a picture of an angry 15 year old 'Mia'. Why is she so angry? You can take a look at Kierston Wareing's character of 'Joanna', the terrible excuse for a mother that puts the needs of her children second to her own needs of looking for love and acceptance in whoever will give it to her. The mother finds this acceptance in Fassbender's character, 'Connor', who seems to be a great and unlikely catch for her. He seems to be a ray of light for the family but turns out to be just the opposite. My opinion is that the story is not about the damage the family experiences in the interaction with Connor but rather the reality that this is just one example of a series of bad decisions made by the mother that propels the children into a world of emotional pain and disappointment. It's also a picture of the cycle of dysfunction that is taking place in a family and the poor decisions that continue to keep that dysfunction in place. There is a glimmer of hope with Mia (her desire to help an old horse) but it is such a faint glimmer that it doesn't leave the viewer thinking that much will change with this family. There are some very hard hitting scenes in the movie that leave you on the edge of your seat saying, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!" and there are some scenes that really make you feel sorry for the characters and you can really see some of them as victims, especially the children. Overall, great movie and I highly, highly recommend it.

The best part of this film was the acting. The characters all felt quite genuine. It is a good portrayal of a troubled life and has emotional depth.

Friendless and unloved Mia (Jarvis) dreams of becoming a dancer and when her mum's new boyfriend arrives on the scene, everything changes for the teenager.

Fish tank is an exceptional artistic creation, based on the purity of Andrea Arnold's script and appreciative direction whilst a debuting Katie Jarvis excels as the troubled isolated teenager, and what a feature this is.

British cinema is some of the most dramatic and flinching cinema in the world. From Trainspotting to This is England there are always issues of realism and points to convey and with this 2009 appraised release we see more hard drama.

The opening sequence follows Mia around the streets, slurring and shouting abuse at anyone in her radar and the coarse dialogue and minimal amount of sympathy is staggering. As if you had been slapped, this will instantly startle you into realizing the type of environment and lifestyle Mia is living in. The language will give Pulp Fiction a run for its money.

Added as an attempt to justify the rural scene of Britain, Arnold gets it spot on as everything flows with little adjustment required. Everything is as it should be because everything has been so carefully planned, in particular the character development which will have many shedding a tear or two.

Katie Jarvis' cold and unappreciative style is spot on for the protagonist and as the film goes through hard fights with families and spending time isolated in a deserted flat, we see the emotional desire of Mia. The ambition of becoming a dancer is exceptionally well produced, owing to the fact that the background is effectively established. The hard family life Mia is living inspires her to find a way out and her dancing is her motive to break free. This really does work up a treat with twists turns, ups and downs and a staggering climax that adds extra spice to the picture.

At only 15 the central character certainly has a controversial agenda set for her. From sleeping with random strangers to drinking anything dangerous, Mia seems unfazed. Seeing her younger sister drinking beer with her mother in the next room will have mouths dropping.

Thanks to this straight forward no messing attitude the plot can move forward and tell the audience of what real life entails and the cultural state we are living in at the moment.

Some British films go out of their way to preach, such as This is England and Brassed off and whilst that isn't a bad quality, the enriching style of this film makes it flow and add extra drama continuously.

The scene setting shots are exquisite, as if made from a Skins episode without the teen angst. The scene in the car is excellent and not to forget this film boasts an exceptional soundtrack that fits the mood as well as 2007's Hallam Foe.

Fish Tank hits you deep and hard, in the soul. It drew me in to its world without me hardly noticing it - a world of ultra-realism, burnished, you must say, by some quite incredible performances from Katie Jarvis and the rest of the cast.

One night of disturbed sleep after watching it and I am still in their world, out on the bleak and beautiful flatlands bordering Essex and London which so many people speed through every day as they journey between London and mainland Europe on the Eurostar trains. I myself have taken that journey a few times and wondered what the people's lives were like who lived in this strange landscape where London has parked so much of the stuff that it doesn't want to see - the giant container terminals, the power plants and the chemical works.

Fish Tank perhaps gives a taste of those lives, but it does much more than that. Especially it gives us a heroine who we can't help caring for deeply, despite and partly because she is on the outside so nasty, rude and violent. Through some of the things she gets up to as she wonders around we see a natural love of life bursting to get out though. We also have an attractive and kind man come into the picture who, through his natural goodness, offers an outlet for her yearnings for understanding, fun, and intimacy.

The story starts off slowly as we get to know 15-year old Mia, her family and the wider (and very limited) world around her. But it picks up and becomes tautly gripping at times - and it never slips into sentimentality or offers false redemption. It is all the better for that.