Fish Tank

Some films, despite being beautifully realised, are hard to enjoy given their subject matter. Fish Tank is one such film.

Mia Williams (Katie Jarvis) is fifteen years old and has no friends. Her volatile temperament and foul mouth do nothing to ingratiate her with people. The situation at home is dismal, living with a mother (Joanne, played by Kierston Wareing) who is a textbook definition of a dysfunctional parent, and a little sister (Rebecca Griffiths) who seems to be headed the same way as Mia. Enter Connor (Michael Fassbender),  Joanne’s latest flame. He brings a ray of sunlight and a bit of normality in Mia’s life, but good things never last for long.

Andrea Arnold‘s film is a bitter pill to swallow. It is extremely claustrophobic, spatially and psychologically, sparing no details in Mia’s difficult transition from old girl to young woman in a hostile, soul-crushing environment. Mia is a girl who lives by hook or by crook, not a bad person, but one who makes it very difficult for people to see the goodness in her heart. The performances are outstanding, as it should be, given the nature of the script (it is purely character driven). To be commended is Ms Jarvis’s bold, no-holds-barred interpretation, her first foray into film.

A great achievement for everyone involved.

Andrea Arnold