"Fish Tank" follows the broken and perhaps not-so-nave childhood of Mia (Katie Jarvis), a disheveled and often hungover fifteen-year-old, living with her promiscuous and neglectful mother (Kierston Wareing) and younger sister. In a household where the "B" word is the most popular form of address, the pain and rage that boils under Mia's skin is often released in the form of foul language and verbal attacks at her mother, sister or anyone who crosses her path at an untimely moment.
Life in the Sussex projects of England continues bleakly as Mia turns to her only escape dancing. Even then, it is not enough to keep her out of trouble and from her increasing alcoholism until the day her mother's new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender) appears in their lives and seems to fill the male void that the three women in this dysfunctional family unknowingly craved. Kind and ruggedly attractive, Connor's presence is the catalyst of "Fish Tank," as he livens Mia's stagnant and gloomy existence.
While the dialogue in "Fish Tank" is limited the film's few exchanges are often crass and brute the sentiments from the unspoken words ring loud and clear. The awkward and unsettling moments of silence in the film scream with pain and anger as various characters' quiet reflections reveal the unbearable weight of a dead-end future.
Jarvis is a captivating actress and realistically portrays Mia's complexities. In the difficult role of balancing the faade of toughness while still revealing underlying vulnerability, Jarvis certainly excels in her first acting role. Discovered by a casting director at the Tilbury Train Station a location cleverly featured in the film audience members might be left to wonder if the role of tortured teen is one with which Jarvis has personal experience.
Fassbender occupies an equally convincing role as the leading male figure, although his character shifts between that of noble father figure to one of a shady boyfriend. This vacillation is easily forgiven, however, as his presence provides temporary emotional reprieve and cuts the thick air of gloom that slowly invades the overall tone of this film.
His irresistible good looks and accented charm certainly don't hurt, either.
While the plot of "Fish Tank" moves a bit too slowly for a two-hour film, director Andrea Arnold makes up for the lethargic pace of the movie by indulging viewers with incredible detail. In a scene where Mia fails to release a chained and sickly horse from a junkyard after being attacked and chased away by its owners, the viewer can almost personally sense the ache as Mia feels the imagined chain around her own neck tighten, locking her more securely to her miserable state of being.
Purely symbolic and heavy with emotion, Arnold paints an incredible surrealism and grace into the scene, yet interweaves it seamlessly into the otherwise harsh realities of the movie, complete with washed-out lighting and jerky camera pans.
Winner of multiple film awards, including the Jury Prize at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, "Fish Tank" is undoubtedly a worthwhile movie, although perhaps not suitable for all occasions. Like the critically-acclaimed "Precious" and other honest portrayals of the struggling working class, this film is unflinching and brutally frank, leaving the viewer thoughtful if a bit shaken but ultimately and undeniably satisfied.
