Review of Fish Tank (2009) by Kevin C — 28 Mar 2010

Your heart doesn't race at the thought of another British film set on a council estate. Is it worthy? Condescending? Sure to be grim? Well this isn't wannabee Ken Loach, but maybe the new Ken Loach. I really enjoyed â??Red Roadâ??, but this is better. A film that brilliantly and sensitively buzzes with life and offers its very own take on 2010 Essex. It delivers in spades attitude, humour, sadness, love, anger and hope. Itâ??s realism, but it has an intimacy, an immediacy and a dash of poetry that offers a new spin on familiar territory.

The film has a keen eye for the border between danger and fulfilment when it comes to sexual feelings, through the vulnerable but strong adolescent teenage girl, Mia. You canâ??t help but feel for and understand her â?? even though she calls everyone a â??cuntâ?? and headbutts another girl so that the blood pours down her face. And thatâ??s just the first five minutes!

Mia lives in a flat in Essex, with her mum and her little sister. Mia calls her little sis â??fuck faceâ?? and little sis calls her â??cunt faceâ?? back. The TV blares out reality shows and makeover programmes. It is a land of flats, busy roads, flyovers, scraps of land and suburban shop parades - all lending a strong sense of place without any sense of gawking or romanticising. It can sometimes look ugly, sometimes look beautiful.

Connor comes into Mia's life, and her smiles show that she likes him, while he pays her more attention than anyone else in her life, praising her dance moves, giving her a piggyback, even tucking her up in bed when she pretends to be asleep. Their relationship takes unusual, even alarming turns, but the film avoids obvious judgements, obvious explanations.

It also has 2 splendid Rakim and Nas tracks. Two pleasurable hours indeed.