I see that IFC has done another of what I sometimes call its stealth releases of a first-rate film. I understand the company has its multi-platform strategy and all, but I have to say I do miss the days when arthouse films played long engagements and got to excite the imagination of a community, the days when, say, to name a not un-pertinent example, Pauline at the Beach would be the talk of at least a certain part of town. Guess I’m not immune to nostalgia. The completely pertinent point here is that British director Andrea Arnold’s second feature, Fish Tank, is here, and is gonna be around in a variety of forms, and that you ought to see it by whatever means possible.
Like Red Road, Arnold’s feature debut, and Wasp, her Oscar-winning short, FIsh Tank takes place in a pretty rough-and-tumble milieu, in and around a council estate—aka a “sink estate” in Essex, northeast of London. The heroine, Mia, is a brash teen girl (the exceptional Katie Jarvis), daughter of a single mom (Kierston Wareing) who’s barely an adult herself. A new man (Michael Fassbender, as great here as he is in Hunger and Inglourious Basterds, and the best-known cast member) comes into the mother’s life, and, rather dangerously, into Mia’s. The storyline has its quivers and genuine shocks, and Arnolds sustains it beautifully. That, and the superb performances, might suffice to make Fish Tank a film of interest. But Arnold’s incredibly deft and imaginative writing and direction make it much more than that.
First, there’s Arnold’s decision to shoot in what’s called Academy ratio, the square-ish 1.33:1 frame format. It does create, in some scenes, a claustrophobic sense consonant with the film’s title, but every now and again in exterior scenes Arnold’s framing is more deliberately expansive, bringing home the impression of a big sky/universe hovering over the characters’ cramped world. There’s the canny, slightly cheeky way this woman director, making a film centered on female characters, makes Fassbender the movie’s lust object (at least for a little while); his character, Connor, slinks around Mia and her mom’s apartment shirtless, his jeans barely held up around his jutting hips. Even more interestingly, Arnold makes Connor a bit more sophisticated than anyone else in the picture. He’s got good taste in music, particularly what the Brits call Northern Soul; Bobby Womack’s cover of “California Dreamin’ ” becomes a ruefully ironic leitmotif in the film. “You cannot call Bobby Womack ‘weird shit,’ ” he affectionately scolds Mia’s mother. In a sense, he’s a bit of an audience surrogate, which status gets dicey as his character turns more problematic. And the picture abounds with gorgeous little visual touches, such as the shot in which Mia takes a drink from the kitchen sink faucet; at first it looks to have been shot in slow motion, but on close examination one sees the action is merely being enacted slowly. And all these touches enhance and expand upon the multi-layered portrayals of the characters, their actions, and their psychology; the result is one of the richest films you’ll see this year, guaranteed.
Reading things like this is one of the few things that makes me hate living in goddamn Wisconsin. It’s not often that I drive into the greater Chicagoland area to see a movie (I think ‘Darjeeling Limited’ was the last time for me) but this might be worth a trip.
What you call stealth releases is a real problem with the IFC strategy of building a big catalog. It’s good that they pick up strong, art-oriented films, but at the same time, no title really gets the attention or care it might deserve.
I say that as a general fan of IFC. But the modern climate and multi-platform strategy doesn’t always do justice to releases. I don’t think it’s only nostalgia. These issues have a real impact on film culture.
“Fish Tank” has actually been enjoying a healthy run at the IFC Center; sold-out to near-sold-out shows have been typical since Friday. As far as IFCC audience members go, the release has definitely not been ‘stealth’.
Saw this last year at the Chicago Film Fest, it’s worth it for Fassbender alone. Most exciting actor in movies right now. I wasn’t crazy about the ending, nor about the full-frame cinematography, which I felt was striving for naturalistic grace but often looked simply plain and ugly. Lots of nice touches, though, including one of the most authentic and unsettling sex scenes I’ve ever seen on film.
And as a P.S. to my last comment, the 35mm prints of “Fish Tank” are beautiful, so if you live in New York and plan on seeing it, that’s the way to go.
I saw this film (actually got to introduce it!) at the Telluride Film Festival this year and, if I am not mistaken, Andrea said that the sound is also deliberately in mono to match the claustrophobic Academy ratio. She’s a really bright one – and what a great flick.
If you miss the theatrical release – Fish Tank is released 25 January on Region 2 DVD in the UK
It’s been announced today she’s going to do a new WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Could be interesting.
Doesn’t the IFC distribution mean that people can watch it on pay-per-view?
The discarded 10-pack of Mayfairs on the ground in that picture really says a lot about the film.
The storyline has its quivers and genuine shocks, and Arnolds sustains it beautifully. That, and the superb performances, might suffice to make Fish Tank a film of interest.
Just saw this post – glad to see more attention brought to the film. I saw it at AFI Film Festival, and it was easily the most crowded screening I saw (I didn’t go to any of the galas premieres). And I think every one of us was in awe at the end… To me the most amazing feat, other than Jarvis’s powerhouse performance, was that Arnold managed to take the characters places that I really didn’t want to go (I wanted to like Connor, dammit!) and yet make it so obviously the right thing for the narrative. It’s rough but everything in it is right.
Looks like Criterion will be releasing this if their most recent newsletter is anything to go by.