Fish Tank (film)

Fish Tank
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Andrea Arnold
Produced by	Nick Laws Kees Kasander Christine Langan David M. Thompson
Written by	Andrea Arnold
Starring	Katie Jarvis Kierston Wareing Michael Fassbender
Cinematography	Robbie Ryan
Editing by	Nicolas Chaudeurge
Studio	BBC Films UK Film Council Kasander Film Company
Distributed by	IFC Films
Release date(s)	1 May 2009 (2009-05-01) (Cannes) 11 September 2009 (2009-09-11)
Running time	124 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$3 million

Fish Tank is a 2009 British drama film directed by Andrea Arnold. The film won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the 2010 BAFTA for Best British Film. It was filmed in the Mardyke Estate in Havering, the town of Tilbury, and the A13, and funded by BBC Films and the UK Film Council.

Plot

Mia (Katie Jarvis) is a volatile 15-year-old. She resides on an East London council estate with her single mother, Joanne, and foul-mouthed younger sister, Tyler. Mia is a loner and does not seem to have any close friends. Her only source of escape is hip-hop dance, which she practises alone in a deserted flat.

Near the estate, Mia comes across a malnourished, tethered horse in a traveller encampment. She attempts to free the horse, incurring the anger of two of its owners. The third owner, a young man named Billy, is more sympathetic. He explains the horse is ill, creating a friendship between them.

Joanne's new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), is a charming and handsome Irishman. Connor, Joanne, Mia, and Tyler drive out to the countryside. Connor introduces Mia to his favorite song, Bobby Womack's version of "California Dreamin'", shows her how to catch a fish using noodling, and asks her to show off her dance moves. Although Mia is abrupt with Connor, he intrigues her and she is keen to impress him. One night, she secretly watches him and her mother having sex. She then goes back to her room and slams the door several times.

A local club is seeking dancers and Connor encourages Mia to apply. He lends her a video camera to record an audition tape. Mia sends in her tape and is then asked to come by the club to perform in person. Late one night, after she and Connor have both been drinking, he asks to see her dance routine. She dances to "California Dreamin'." Connor then invites her to sit next to him. They have sex in the living room while Joanne is passed out drunk upstairs; showcasing Connor's jealously towards Mia supposedly having sex with Billy. He demands Mia keeps what happened a secret.

The following morning, Mia hears her mother crying. Tyler informs her Connor has left. Mia tracks him down at his home in Chadwell St Mary and confronts him. He explains he cannot see Joanne or Mia anymore. He drives her to the railway station and gives her money to get herself home. Mia decides to secretly go back to Connor's house.

Nobody is at home, so Mia breaks in by going through the back window. She finds Connor's camera in the living room and watches his videos. Mia finally finds out that Connor has a wife and young daughter, Kiera. Mia then urinates on the living room floor and then heads to the bathroom upstairs to cool off.

Mia hears Connor and his wife arrive at the doorstep and escapes the house by sneaking out the back door. Crossing around to the front of the house, Mia sees Kiera riding her scooter down the sidewalk. Mia convinces Kiera to go with Mia to across the field. Eventually, they reach the River Thames, where Mia pushes Kiera, sending the little girl falling into the river. Mia pulls Kiera from the water. Then the two walk home. By this point, it is dark outside. When the two reach Connor's house, Mia sneaks away.

As Mia walks down the road back to the train station, a car screeches to a halt beside her. Mia attempts to run away but Connor gets out and chases her, nearly tackling her and slapping her to the ground. He then walks away and drives off.

The next day, Mia heads to the audition. Upon entering, she realizes that the organizers are looking for erotic dancers. All the other auditioners are wearing heavy makeup and provocative clothing. Mia attempts to perform her audition, but walks off as the music starts. The other girls stare as she leaves.

Mia goes to find Billy. Upon arriving at his place, Billy informs her that the horse died and Mia sinks to the ground, weeping. Billy is moving to Cardiff, Wales, and he invites her to join him.

Mia returns home to pack her bags. In the living room, Joanne is in an almost trance-like state, dancing to Mia's Nas CD. Mia informs Joanne that she is leaving. Before she goes, Mia, Joanne, and Tyler dance to "Life's a Bitch." Outside, Mia hugs Tyler goodbye and gets into Billy's car; driving to her new life in Wales.

Cast

• Katie Jarvis as Mia Williams
• Michael Fassbender as Connor O'Reily
• Kierston Wareing as Joanne Williams
• Rebecca Griffiths as Tyler Williams
• Harry Treadaway as Billy
• Sydney Mary Nash as Keira
• Sarah Bayes as Keely

Production

Katie Jarvis, who plays Mia, had no prior acting experience. She was cast for the film after one of Arnold's casting assistants saw her arguing with her boyfriend in Tilbury Town railway station, which is the station featured in the film.

Fish Tank was filmed in chronological order. At the end of each week the actors were given the scripts for the scenes that they would perform the following week, so that when they performed each scene they were largely unaware of what would happen to their characters later in the film.

Music

Music features prominently in the film, particularly connected with Mia's dancing. The song she uses at her audition is "California Dreamin'", as covered by Bobby Womack (1968). The CD she borrows from Connor is The Best of Bobby Womack (2008), on which "California Dreamin'" appears on track 17, as Mia requests. Towards the beginning of the film the song "Me & U" by Cassie is also used.

Other songs include "Jah Rule (w/ Paul St. Hilaire)" by Rhythm & Sound (Album: W/The Artists), "Life's a Bitch" by Nas, "Just to Get a Rep" by Gang Starr, "Cool Down the Pace" by Gregory Isaacs, "Your house" by Steel pulse, "Juice" by Eric B and Rakim, "Baby girl" by Wiley, "Show Me Love" (Stonebridge Club Mix) by Robin S, "Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown, and "Original Nuttah" by Shy FX & UK Apache.

Release

Critical reception

The film currently holds a 90% "certified fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 132 reviews. The New Yorker's David Denby writes, "Fish Tank may begin as a patch of lower-class chaos, but it turns into a commanding, emotionally satisfying movie, comparable to such youth-in-trouble classics as The 400 Blows".

Box office

Fish Tank was released domestically on 11 September 2009 taking £103,180 on its first weekend and a total of £332,488. As of June, 15, 2010, the film earned $374,675 in the United States and $1,612,034 elsewhere, bringing the worldwide total to $1,986,709.

External links

• Fish Tank at the Internet Movie Database
• "Fish Tank" film page
• Fish Tank at Rotten Tomatoes
• Fish Tank press book
• Fish Tank Review

Awards
Preceded by Il Divo	Jury Prize, Cannes 2009 tied with Thirst	Succeeded by A Screaming Man