Fish Tank (2009)

Initially repulsed by her mother's much younger new boyfriend, a teenage outcast finds herself slowly becoming attracted to him herself in this British drama starring first time actress Katie Jarvis. For an amateur actress, Jarvis offers quite a convincing performance with some great moments as she silently watches her mother dance in her underwear with a mix of pity and contempt. Whenever Jarvis opens her mouth though, it is hard not to squirm. Her character is written as someone so foul-mouthed, obnoxious and burning up with hate that it is hard to warm to her even when we see the upbringing that has led to be being so antisocial (she breaks another girl's nose simply for a rude remark within the first five minutes of the film). None of the other characters here are particularly likable either, and while her mother is probably the most intriguing character with her desire to still party and flirt like a teenager herself, she remains a secondary supporting character throughout. The film comes off as quite repetitive too. A kidnapping plot turn in the second half almost pulls the movie in a daringly different direction, but the potential of this subplot is never quite maximised. Between the innovative camera-work (full of shots that both walk and run with Jarvis) and desolate urban landscapes, 'Fish Tank' is a pretty good looking film, but one may find its appeal as mysterious as the title.

Everything changes for 15-year-old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend.How much can be said about the effect of a female writer-director on a film? Is it really different than from a male perspective? Generally, I think any difference is exaggerated. My knowledge is strongest with the horror genre, and the female-helmed features are not obviously different. (I am looking at you, Barbara Peeters.) Here, we see a very female-centric tale. How strong the characters are is debatable, but they are definitely front and center. The unorthodox relationship between daughter and boyfriend is told in a way that is more blunt than generally accepted.

Mia (Katie Jarvis) is a volatile fifteen-year-old hip hop dancer living with her white trash mother Joanne (Kierston Wareing) and brash younger sister Tyler. She's been expelled from school and spends her days practicing her moves in an abandoned flat. She tries to free a horse being kept in a rundown lot and is almost gang raped. Conor (Michael Fassbender) is her mother's new boyfriend.Katie Jarvis is a revelation and it's too bad that she didn't get a follow-up career. She's so natural that it's almost like she's not acting. She has both the volatile rage and the touching innocence. I didn't even realize that Fassbender is in this. There is an overabundance of white trash cinema. Writer/director Andrea Arnold should edit this down from its two hour running time.

I watched a few adolescent movies recently. This one belongs to the well-done category. It's a story we all can reflect upon. There was Hollywood shallowly adolescent dramatization exited. I grossly dislike John Green's works even his stories sold millions of copies and the adapted movies made big box office hits. They only misled teenager audiences to simplify lives with some pitifully delusional dramas. Anything to strive teenagers to elevate their thinking and develop their own life philosophy was merely non- exited. I would say this movie at least would make audiences take look at their own lives. It's hard to straight out adolescent heads. It's even harder when the surroundings challenged them. Sometimes those arduous moments just stages of lives. But sometimes they became permanent scars. We all need to move on and be guided by our own struggles as long as we are able to overcome.