Fish Tank – 2009 | 123 mins | Drama | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Andrea Arnold’s follow-up to ‘Red Road’ is a slice of social-realism set on an urban council estate. It’s a new spin on the familiar territory explored by kitchen-sink storytellers Ken Loach and Mike Leigh and offers up an authentic vision of inner-city society, blending attitude, humour, sadness, love, anger and hope in a raw coming-of-age tale. Arnold’s gritty drama picked up the Jury Prize at Cannes 2009. Newcomer old Katie Jarvis was ‘discovered’ on Tilbury Town Station arguing with her boyfriend, and her intimate portrayal of the vulnerable victim and irate perpetrator is outstanding.

Set in the decaying wastelands and council estates near the Thames estuary, Essex 15-year old Mia (Katie Jarvis), has her life is turned on its head when her neglectful mother brings home a new boyfriend, toned security guard Connor (Michael Fassbender). Connor is perhaps the first adult to take an interest in Mia and attempt to encourage her, and after initial frostiness, she in turn takes a shine to him. Their relationship takes unusual, even alarming twist when Connor initiates her sexual awakening, and the soundtrack to Mia’s life accurately switches from Bobby Womack’s ‘California Dreamin’ to the urban hip-hop of Nas’ ‘Life’s A Bitch’.