Most 15-year-olds feel confused and alone as they come into their own, but Mia (Katie Jarvis), a young girl in London's working-class East End, has it especially difficult in the Andrea Arnold directed film, Fish Tank.
Her passion for hip hop dancing seems to be the only thing that gives a healthy drive to Mia, who is raised by her alcoholic mother (Kierston Wareing) and is constantly arguing with her bratty younger sister, Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths). Mia often sneaks out of her mother's apartment to break into an abandoned one where she can blast music and release pent-up frustrations from the difficult relationships that entangle her.
The one relationship in her life that appears to be treating Mia kindly, however, is her friendship with her mother's latest boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender). From supporting her dancing to bandaging up a cut on her ankle, Connor demonstrates a gentle touch that illustrates that Mia may have more in common with him than her mother does. This causes a mutual attraction to form, and Mia's life becomes even more convoluted than it was before.
A first-time actress, Jarvis does an excellent job portraying the misunderstood Mia. The film captures mindless life moments and interactions that at first glance don't seem important to the story, but by the end of the film, clearly prove crucial to character development. Jarvis' acting especially helps establish this poignancy.
Although these small moments do conjoin to form a gritty, realistic plot, they leave vague space around certain moments and continuity issues and the viewer is left out to dry. For example, Mia does not appear to attend school regularly and ignores visits scheduled with a social worker, but it is never explained where her issues truly take root.
Despite these problems, it is impossible for viewers not to feel like they too are gasping for breath in the brief moments Mia manages to get her head above water in the fish bowl of her life.
Fish Tank is showing at 7:30 tonight at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., as part of the Athens International Film and Video Festival. Visit athensfest.org for details.
Kelly Kettering is a senior studying journalism. To show her your best hip-hop dance moves, e-mail her at kk150206@ohiou.edu.
3 Culture
Kelly Kettering
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