Review of Fish Tank (2009) by Matthew B — 10 Apr 2011

FISH TANK is a decent coming-of-age drama though nothing special. The film is beautifully shot and acted, it has a gritty feel that works in its favor. We are able to connect with the main character and that's one of the film's successes but that's also where the film fails.

That's the issue I had with the film. I really was really drawn into her life and I think the film didn't do her justice. It's predictable and in the end I felt like I had slightly wasted my time and energy investing myself in the life of this character because the film didn't reward my investment.

We knew what was going to happen and what she was going to find out right from the start when she first meets her moms new boyfriend. Had the film taken our expectations and went in a compleletly different direction, the results would have been more compelling.

The best moments of the film are the scenes between her and her moms boyfriend but we aren't given a chance to really understand their relationship. The film could have gone many ways but it didn't.

I was reminded of "An Education" ...another coming-of-age drama that's doesn't quite work. Ahh...well. Overall, It's a good watch just don't expect anything original.