Proper kitchen-sink legacyBy John DeSando, WCBE's "It's Movie Time," "Cinema Classics," and "On the Marquee"
In Fish Tank, Mia (Katie Jervis) occupies a common place amongst disaffected fifteen year olds: ignored by a single, fast living mum, lost in the educational system, pursued by mum's beau, given to alcohol for deliverance, to name a few deficiencies in the life of this working class, project-living Brit. In that sense she is also the sister of several young women in the films of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, both directors successful at depicting the slings and arrows of the UK poor and all three directors worthy of the Brit kitchen-sink legacy.
When that smooth and handsome mum boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), arrives in their apartment in the project, Mia is ready to give herself to a few loving words from a worldly con. From there the story takes a decidedly dark turn as she vents her anger against him and the world in a dangerous and careless way. But director Andrea Arnold spares nothing to show how neglect of teens can lead inexorably to crime and punishment for all.
While nothing is really a surprise, and the plot has only one harrowing sequence, the film is done with such care for the characters that at each turn of the teen's fate, all one can say is that's what happens when adults let youngsters imitate them. And after that, teens like Mia just take off for the West, Wales that is, and California in her dreamin'.
It's a small film full of humanity?no surprise it's won many UK awards and best of all, the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
"I hate you," says Mia to her sister Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths) on Mia's departure, as she sobs and embraces Tyler. The irony is that she loves Tyler very much; it's her own life that she hates. Arnold creates such an ugly jungle in this British housing estate that we hate it, too. That is brilliant moviemaking but not a fun life to live.
John DeSando teaches film at Franklin University and co-hosts WCBE 90.5's It's Movie Time, Cinema Classics, and On the Marquee, which can be heard streaming at http://publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/ppr/index.shtml and on demand at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/arts.artsmain Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.RR.com