Mia is a troubled 14 year old living in an Essex prjoect apartment in Great Britain with her loveless mother and younger sister who finds solace and maybe a potential means of escape in hip-hop dancing. Having recently being thrown out of school and having befriended an older boy at a local mobile home, matters are complicated even further when her mother brings home a rugged young man who seems to have Mia's best interests at heart but may have ulterior motives. Fish Tank was directed by Andrea Arnold, whom I read grew up in a similar housing project, brings such a raw and authentic feel to this film. Everything that happens in the film plays out as we think it should in real life, and no easy paths are taken and happy resolutions are utilized. Young Katie Jarvis, who stars in the film and had no prior acting experience, is remarkable as the foul mouthed teenager who doesn't know how to react when her relationship with her mom's boyfriend doesn't go as expected. Michael Fassbender, who is building quite the resume in his young career with nice roles in Hunger, Inglourious Basterds, Jane Eyre, and the upcoming X-Men: First Class, is great as the charming boyfriend whom we never quite know what he is thinking. Fish Tank is a bright independent film that challenges cinematic conventions and presents a rugged and realistic portrait of a young, confused, and impoverished existance.
