fish tank

fish tank

last night, i sat down to watch the latest movie from director andrea arnold, "fish tank."

i had been desperate to see the film for months after being blown away by arnold's previous venture, "red road".

like her previous film, "fish tank" deals with the lower class of british society, whose tales are often left to the confinements of the jeremy kyle show on a weekday morning. "fish tank" tells the story of 15 year old outsider mia, who lives on a tough essex council estate with her equally rebellious younger sister and volatile mother, played brilliantly by kierston wareing. mia dreams of a way out of her banal existence and pursuing her dream of being a street dancer. with the arrival of her mother's new boyfriend, played by an always wonderful michael fassbender, mia's world looks set to change forever.

arnold's talent as a director and storyteller is astounding, her unflinching approach to showcase the harsh reality of britain is certainly admirable, we may not want to admit it but stories such as mia's exist and deserve their place in the world too.

like "red road" before it, the use of lighting and imagery in "fish tank" is breathtaking, you are immediately drawn in and literally feel as if you are a fly on the cigarette stained wall.

the way arnold builds her characters is nothing short of remarkable, complex and seemingly unlikeable as they may be, you cannot help but pray that a happy ending is around the corner.

however, the real revelation in "fish tank" is the performance of newcomer, katie jarvis. discovered by a casting agent while screaming at her boyfriend across a railway station platform, jarvis instills all the emotional depth needed for our protagonist, a girl who knows all to well about having an ambition cast aside.

i highly recommend rushing out for your copy of "fish tank" and witness the very best that british cinema has to offer.

dorrian