Writer/director Andrea Arnold has created a winning combination in Fish Tank: an energetic, in-your-face fifteen year old struggling to come to terms with her bleak existence in an English housing estate in Essex.
Mia (Kate Jarvis) has more attitude than the girl with the dragon tattoo and less fear if it’s possible. Her attempt to rescue a horse that she believes is being mistreated is emblematic of this complex character.
Two new males enter her life: mum’s new boyfriend Connor (played with understatement by Michael Fassbender) and her new friend Billy (Harry Treadaway). Experience and innocence!
With her dysfunctional family and self-destructive risk taking, the plot unfolds with depressing inevitability. Fortunately there are enough twists to prevent the story falling into complete predictability.
Kate Jarvis is perfect for the role. She was 17 which helped to give her character a tougher edge. The fact that she is a Tilbury Town local, complete with accent, adds a priceless authentic element.
The film finishes on a note of hope, so don’t be put off by its dark themes.
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