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Fish Tank
- Review Date: January 29, 2010
- NR
- Genre: Drama
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
Stark, powerful drama for older teens and adults.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this British drama about a teenager who falls for her inattentive mother’s boyfriend can be relentlessly bleak at times, and its mature themes may be too intense for all but the oldest of teens. But it’s a powerful film with a heroine who’s determined and resourceful in a world with few options. There’s plenty of swearing and drinking, and not just by adults. Teens and tweens have their vices, too -- like drinking and picking fights -- and are seen indulging in them fairly frequently.
What's the story?
Fifteen-year-old Mia (Katie Jarvis) lives in a British housing project, unwanted by her neglectful mother (Kierston Wareing), her father nowhere in sight, and her younger sister (Rebecca Griffiths) headed nowhere fast. Her only escape is dance, which she indulges in with great fervor, if not finish. In comes her mother’s new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), a security guard who doles out attention, praise, and interest in Mia -- stuff she’s lived without for ages. But does he want to be her father or her lover? Mia finds him intriguing. And it appears he feels the same.
Is it any good?
The world portrayed in FISH TANK is bleak and claustrophobic. Fathers are absent; mothers ignore their children; and children smoke, curse, and drink like their parents. Everyone struggles to survive, and connections with great potential are corrupted by circumstances and human frailty. But in writer-director Andrea Arnold’s hands, it’s a world that intrigues. She allows the story to unfold in its own time, refraining from cheapening the enterprise with frantic cuts and oppressive music, as other filmmakers sometimes do. She tells a tale we’ve heard before but with amazing dexterity.
What makes Mia and Connor’s questionable-yet-palpable connection compelling and believable are the performances. Fassbender’s Connor isn’t so much lecherous as confused, unable to explain himself or his desires and intentions. And Jarvis, as Mia (her first movie role), astonishes, balancing longing with confusion and rage. Combative and insulting, Mia isn’t all that likable. But we wish for her nothing but joy and escape. It’s not a given she’ll get either.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the sexual activity in the movie. Do you think Connor is taking advantage of Mia? Do you know any teens who've been intimately involved with adults? Teens: Who can you talk to about these issues?
What are the real-life consequences of behavior such as underage drinking? Are those consequences depicted believably here?
Why is Mia the way she is? What and who have shaped her personality? If she hates the way her mother is, why does she act a lot like her sometimes? How are they different?
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Adult
September 14, 2012
AGE
Enjoyable British Film!
Great movie! Fish Tank is different than most. It's a British drama (easy to understand - unlike some British speaking movies!) based on a 15 year old teen struggling to figure out where she belongs. She loves dance but doubts her potential. Her mother treats her like she doesn't exist. She has a crush on her mother's boyfriend who also likes her back - they share a fling towards the mid-end of the film. She sppears to have no friends (at least in the movie) except for a boy her age she later meets. The story is quite good although slow, presents the challenges of a typical teenager who just wants a chance without getting stomped on. Very unique film! Watch out for language, drinking and smoking (even by small children) and sexual content (Two sex scenes and plenty of sexual innuendo). Worth watching!!
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| Studio: | IFC Entertainment |
| Director: | Andrea Arnold |
| Cast: | Katie Jarvis, Kierston Wareing, Michael Fassbender |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 123 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 15, 2010 |
| DVD release date: | February 22, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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