[7.75/10] Fish Tank (2009)

Fish Tank (2009)

Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" is driven by a simple little idea. The star of the picture is Mia, a fifteen year old girl, whose life is turned upside down when her Mom brings home a new boyfriend. The film takes you to places that you never expected to go and the absolutely flawless performances from both Jarvis and Fassbender are pitch perfect. There's an electricity between Connor and the much younger Mia, and the film simmers with tension between the two leads. While nothing is really a surprise, and the plot has only one harrowing sequence, the film is done with such care for the characters that at each turn of the teen's fate, all one can say is that's what happens when adults let youngsters imitate them. While it can be uncomfortable going at times, the movie is a vivid portrait of life at the margins of society, set as it is in a high-rise on a council estate in England. "Fish Tank" is a dark and frightening look at a life on the edge of destruction. It is violent and mostly pessimistic. It is profane and disturbing, but it is not without hope.

• My Rating: 7.75/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 89% (7.6/10)
• IMDb: 7.6/10