Review of Fish Tank (2009) by Bryan W — 12 Apr 2011

While Arnold's first movie was a showcase of the type of boring, low-level, undramatic features coming out of no-budget independents, this film shows that a gigantic improvement in writing was all her stylistic sensibilities needed to flourish as a unique voice in contemporary filmmaking.

From the very beginning, the film gives the audience a true sensation of a British lower-class upbringing that is so seldom seen that it comes off like an alternate universe. Thankfully, the actors, even with such heavy accents, never fail to be understood; even with their defenses up, as is often the case with the protagonist, a look is all it takes to see what's really going on.

Her last film, 'Red Road' tried to stay interesting by withholding vital information from the audience, a tactic that unsurprisingly backfired when it made the entire first half of the film seem like an empty exercise. Here, the film doesn't hinge on the unknown, making the series of gut-punches waiting in the wings all the more shocking when they've played out. Setting this story in a world of flawed characters, often either too young or too old for the situations they find themselves stuck in, manages to be more refreshing than self-indulgent. Overall, it might be a tough one to recommend to the right person, but it's a hard one to miss.