Movie Review: Fish Tank (2010)
A story of misery that offers little reason to stick with it
Photo: IFC Films
Coming to the States with plenty of Blighty cred is Fish Tank, a feature length film from the Oscar-winning short-film director Andrea Arnold. Unfortunately I can't echo the love this film has received across the pond as it is nothing more than a cliche-driven story of 15-year-old named Mia (Katie Jarvis) whose home life involves constant dismissal from her mother and an exchange of insults with her younger sister. These are facts that extend into her social life as she goes around hating the world. A hate that shows in damn near every scene, at least when she isn't trying to free an overly metaphorical chained-up white horse, but even then I felt her primary reason for doing it is simply to piss off the owners.
Things change, slightly, when Mia takes advantage of a strange connection she has with her mother's boyfriend Connor, played by Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, Hunger). However, just when you think/hope this film may offer something different it follows a path we have seen too many times before and not even its well-executed final moment can save it.
The cast includes Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing and Harry Treadaway. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Fish Tank" is a IFC Films release, directed by Andrea Arnold. This film has not yet been rated by the MPAA. The running time is 2 hours 4 minutes.
The only cliche Arnold avoids, and I'm not entirely sure it was intentional, was the fact she never glamorizes Mia's love for hip-hop dancing. This is most likely due to the fact Mia isn't much of a dancer, but her dancing isn't meant to be flashy as much as it is the only escape offered her. Beyond these moments of solitude, Arnold makes sure to place Mia in the worst possible situations, surrounded by some of the worst possible people and needlessly escalates things into a hackneyed potboiler toward the end.
In terms of acting, a lot of reviews have hailed Jarvis as some sort of a stand out. She's not bad, but I can't say I saw anything here that would have me telling others they need to rush out to see her. On the other hand, Fassbender continues to impress me as I look at him and see an actor much like Christian Bale only more talented. Had Fassbender delivered one false move in this film it would have completely crumbled. He didn't.
Things aren't all misery and melancholy however, much of the photography and shots Arnold and cinematographer Robbie Ryan deliver are fantastic. They symbolically decided to go for a 4:3 aspect ratio providing a standard (claustrophobic) television look at things rather than widescreen, and it is the film's one true stand-out.
Also, Arnold does handle Mia's quieter moments with much more skill than she does the majority of her outbursts. Mia is a lit fuse waiting to go off in most every circumstance, but when offered the chance to reflect, or when put in a situation even she realizes is beyond her years, something is truly achieved, but that something is few and far between with Fish Tank.
Links from Other Sites You May Like
Showing 3 Comments
~ PLEASE NOTE ~
If, in any way, your comment is an attack on the author of this post or a previous commenter, your comment will be deleted without question.
Add a New Comment |
Click to Read Our Commenting Rules & Guidelines
I'm actually glad you weren't the biggest fan of this. I was quite confused as to why you were excited for it. I thought the trailer made it look very average. Although, I have not seen it, and I may end up loving it (if I see it).
I'm afraid I don't understand why you didn't like this film. After reading your review of Precious, I honestly just don't understand. Yeah Fish Tank has some cliches, but so did Precious (lots), and even in your review you kind of dismissed them. Why can't you dismiss the cliches of Fish Tank? Doesn't seem fair. At least Fish Tank was consistent in its tone.
this film put me and my girlfreind on such a downer and at one point i thought she was goin to keave me as she was in such a deep fettle with the gripping tale of a young woman at war with the world which is easilly reflected on a lot of teenage lives, part of growing up in a harsh environment. we were both left gutted and on proper downers as the story went on were left utterly baffled why we paid 8 pounds for this worthless piece of rubbish as there was no moral to the story and the ending basicly excused the whole point of the film. Did she ever audition for a dancing tournament? if not what was the point in mentioning it in the first place. what happened to the hairy Irish dude who was with the mother? ? ? did he ever properly get caught out or did they forget about him by the time they finished the film. far from inspiring and and a good prescription of Prozac is needed to soldier your way through this film. not recommended for the depressive.