Jellyfish

The plight of a young carer in a desperate situation is so heartbreaking. No matter her good intentions and how hard she tries nobody seems to care (except at the end). Nothing so tragic as a young life burdened with harsh realities and responsibilities for which it is not yet ready, certainly not emotionally. Film was far from perfect and hard to watch, still it has heart and I loved it.

I saw this at the Edinburgh film festival. The first film for this director, and I expected not to like it as the subject matter is not what I would normally see at the cinema, I was really surprised at how good it was. The story of a 15 year old girl struggling to keep her family going and the toll it took upon her personally. The acting was excellent, and the direction and editing mature and very well executed. There were a couple of scenes which really made me wince, but nothing was gratuitous and they served to emphasise the points they were making-the loss of control for someone who is still a child but forced to try and make her way in an adult world with no support. The supporting characters were well realised and added to the film as a whole.

Go and see it. It's not an 'easy ride' but well worth persevering with. The ending, which I will not spoil, is to some extent what the viewer makes of it. See it to see what I mean!

Phew that was a really really tough watch... very much like a Shane Meadows movie... harsh, grim and gritty social story with a tinge of humour and hard hitting story and ending - the young actress who played the lead was unbelievable, keep an eye on her she is going places

I've seen some reviews that portrays the teacher as 'ever dependable' and 'saviour' I disagree I thought he was self-centred and too embroiled in his show to show humanity to the main character... until it was all too late

This is an absolutely horrendous story for starters of children who have to act and are thrown into circumstances that are far beyond their years. It's an incredibly brave film and had it not been for the credible performances, could've been extremely cringing as I have seen my fair share of amateur productions. I also think it's a really important film to be viewed by teachers and educators to understand their students as multidimensional people as opposed to how they present themselves in whatever class it is they are attending. The learners I often come into contact with come with their own emotional baggage so it really wasn't difficult to understand exactly what the great young actress was portraying. This is another recent film which has shown just how desolate British seaside towns are, or have become, & the struggles which go hand in hand with that dying and dilapidated environment.

A director and an actress to watch out for. A small film of one life that, because it could be so many of our lives, grows into a huge film. The Margate Tourist Office can't have enjoyed this film - despite being beautifully photographed, it's hardly an advert for the town. A quietly sensational film without ever being a sensationalist one. It will stay with me for a while.