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| Movie Review: Fish Tank Alternate Title: Life's a Bitch and Then You Die
Story: Within the first 10 minutes
of this film we know all we need to know about 15 year old Mia. She
is angry, reckless, violent, has no friends, lives in a dysfunctional
single parent household (project housing) with an equally angry younger
sister and a trailer trash mother but she she loves to dance to hip
hop and she does love animals . Ah, the saving grace. This far too redundant film was written and directed
by Andrea Arnold, who builds this story upon her Oscar
winning short 'Wasp.' This is billed as a coming of age story but for
me and my Wednesday movie buddy it fell short. Mia goes from one bad
situation directly into the next with seemingly learning nothing from
each experience other than a deeper anger. When her mother brings home
a new man to live with them there is a glimmer of hope for a human connection,
but that too, goes awry. After awhile all of the characters appear to
have no redeeming qualities (except for that love of animals) and we
began to give up. This film has won a bunch of European film awards
but it feels as if I have seen this film too many times before with
better results. I also had a hard time understanding much of the dialogue
and thought the film needed subtitles. Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7BFZqQ4ruA Acting: Katie Jarvis as Mia fits the angry young
girl to a tee. Michael Fassbender as Connor gave the
best performance. Kierston Wareing as the despicable
mother Joanne was fine. Rebecca Griffiths as the young
sister, Tyler was suitably obnoxious.
Trivia: Katie Jarvis was 'discovered' when she was
having a heated argument with her boyfriend across the platforms at
Tilbury Town railway station. She had dropped out of school and was
unemployed when she was cast in her first film.
Predilection: None
Critters: Lots of pit bulls and a an old very thin
horse.
Sex Spectrum: Yes, there was squirmy sex.
Soundtrack: Lots of grinding hip hop and some oldies
like California Dreaming.
Opening Titles: We see Mia as she struggles with
life.
Visual Art: The housing project is terribly depressing.
Theater Audience: four other people.
Weather: It is summer somewhere in England.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 2
Drift Factor: I looked at my watch often.
Predictability Level: High
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: If you must - rental would
be fine
Length: Two hours
LOBO HOWLS: 5
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