Review: Andrea Arnold's 'Fish Tank' Is Smart, Surprising, & A Little Sweet

“Fish Tank,” Andrea Arnold’s follow-up to her Cannes Jury Prize-winner “Red Road,” may not be as consistently tense as her first film, but it’s equally unnerving. It’s apparent from the first meeting between 15-year-old Mia (nervy newcomer Katie Jarvis) and her mother’s boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender, “Inglourious Basterds”) that something inappropriate will happen. His looks linger a little too long on her dancing form and she’s a bit too eager for his attention and approval. Each interaction between Mia and Connor is loaded with suspense; the audience knows the inevitable is coming, but it’s just a matter of when. This causes the slightly bloated running time to feel even more painful, but it seems ungrateful to complain about getting too much of a good thing.

In less talented hands, “Fish Tank” would be exclusively about the relationship between the poorly matched pair. Instead, Arnold’s film allows this thread to be only a single part of Mia’s coming-of-age story. She has been kicked out of school and struggles to find friends her own age, finding it easier to give a footballer-worthy headbutt than a hug to other high school girls. Her young mother, Joanne (Kierston Wareing, Ken Loach’s “It’s a Free World”), screams and slaps, and the heated dialogue at their Essex apartment would make Gordon Ramsay blush. Even her younger sister Tyler (genuinely gifted, first-time actress Rebecca Griffiths) gets in on the action with a mouth that smokes and swears. The constantly powered-on TV provides a window to a rich world that they can only imagine from their lower-class lives.

Until Mia meets Connor, her only solace is in a bare room in an abandoned building. Armed with her headphones and CD player, Mia practices the dance moves she learns from hip-hop videos. But then Connor shows up at their apartment with her mother, and he’s kind and encouraging while almost everyone else seems intent on seeing her fail. Mia blossoms with the attention, but Connor’s intentions don’t seem entirely pure.

As Connor, Fassbender adeptly balances charm with creepiness. He amazed indie film audiences with his intense portrayal of Bobby Sands in “Hunger,” and he managed to stand out in Quentin Tarantino’s fantastic ensemble in “Inglourious Basterds.” His portrayal here wouldn’t have been as successful if viewers knew what he wanted from Mia; instead, we’re drawn in just as she is, even as we’re wary of him and his affection.

The real surprise here is Jarvis. She’s fierce, funny and fresh, with her rawness making “Fish Tank” seem almost more like a documentary than a fiction film. You could waste the movie’s entire 122 minutes trying to catch her acting, but there have got to be better ways to spend your time. Namely, marveling at how a teenager with no experience could be this good. It’s an unselfconscious performance of a young woman who is flawed but impossible not to care about, and it’s exciting to think about what Jarvis will do next if she can maintain this level of honesty.

Arnold clearly has an affection for her characters, and she and her director of photography, frequent collaborator Robbie Ryan, have lovingly crafted a naturalistic look for the film. But while sunlight warmly bathes some of the scenes, that same natural light casts stark shadows in others. Contrast plays a large part in the film’s aesthetic, and silhouettes make for some truly beautiful shots of what could have otherwise been a gray and ordinary landscape.

Breathing plays almost as large a part in the film’s soundscape as the diegetic music, adding another layer of authenticity to the picture. The sounds of lungs expanding and contracting gives the film a unique rhythm that pairs nicely with the songs chosen by Arnold and music supervisor Liz Gallacher. Bobby Womack’s cover of “California Dreamin'” plays a major role in the film, but we mostly hear hip hop from the likes of Eric B. & Rakim and Nas. These don’t seem like the most obvious choices for a British indie film’s score, but it’s just another way that the filmmaker keeps us guessing as to what direction she’ll take.

In our interview with Arnold, she revealed that Michael Haneke is a director who inspires her, and their kinship is obvious. However, while Haneke isn’t shy about revealing his misanthropic side (does he have another?), Arnold demonstrates a hope in humanity that is rare in films that dive as deep into the darkness as hers do. “Red Road” and “Fish Tank” aren’t the shiny, happy films that you’d want to recommend to your mother, but there’s a surprising sweetness and even optimism in Arnold’s scripts. [B+]