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Fish Tank (The Criterion Collection)

Michael Fassbender (Actor), Katie Jarvis (Actor), Andrea Arnold (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: DVD
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 563 ratings
IMDb7.3/10.0
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January 25, 2010 		—
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February 22, 2011
The Criterion Collection
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Fish Tank $3.99 $12.99
Genre Drama
Format Color, NTSC, Multiple Formats, Special Edition, Surround Sound
Contributor Andrea Arnold, Katie Jarvis, Charlotte Collins, Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Griffiths, Carrie-Ann Savil See more
Language English
Runtime 2 hours and 2 minutes
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Product Description

Product Description

British director Andrea Arnold (Red Road) won the Cannes Jury Prize for the searing and invigorating FISH TANK, about a fifteen-year-old girl, Mia (electrifying newcomer Katie Jarvis), who lives with her mother and sister in the depressed housing projects of Essex. Mia�s adolescent conflicts and emerging sexuality reach boiling points when her mother�s new boyfriend (a lethally attractive Michael Fassbender [Hunger, Inglourious Basterds]) enters the picture. In her young career, Arnold has already proven herself to be a master of social realism (evoking the work of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach), investing her sympathetic portraits of dead-end lives with a poetic, earthy sensibility all her own. FISH TANK heralds the official arrival of a major new filmmaker.

Amazon.com

The Criterion release Fish Tank, from director Andrea Arnold (Red Road), is a bittersweet drama that belongs entirely to its depressed and rebellious teenage protagonist, Mia Williams (Katie Jarvis), as she roots around her Essex housing project looking for love and fun. Waves of ennui wash over her as Mia gets into negligible amounts of trouble to relieve herself, trying to set someone's horse free, digging through junkyards or getting thugs to buy her beer, for example, and nightly coming home to nasty feuds with her trashy alcoholic mother, Joanne (Kierston Wareing), and younger sister, Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths). But this coming-of-age tale's narrative becomes exponentially more complex once Mia's mom brings home her new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), who seems destined to cause even greater rifts between these sexually hungry mother and daughters. The beauty of Fish Tank's cinematography enhances the tension of its story, and while the plot unravels slowly, it does so with grace and intrigue, thanks to Jarvis's rich portrayal of a confused and furious 15-year-old. But it's the development of Mia as a palpable character that carries the film; her deep interest in hip-hop dancing, for example, lends itself to a subtext about the need for activity and a creative outlet during adolescence. Mia is such a sympathetic character that one can hardly help feel her frustration at being prisoner, as she sees it, in her own troubled home. Fish Tank has the hallmarks of great entertainment, such as charming and romantic moments, but nevertheless it manages to feel convincing as documentary as the camera trails Mia meandering through her dissatisfying daily life. It has the quiet, stylish feel of Sofia Coppola's Virgin Suicides but is arguably better for its deeper, truer treatment of character and conflict. --Trinie Dalton

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.5 x 5.3 x 7.5 inches; 3.2 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ CRRN1946DVD
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Andrea Arnold
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, NTSC, Multiple Formats, Special Edition, Surround Sound
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 2 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ February 22, 2011
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Michael Fassbender, Katie Jarvis, Charlotte Collins, Rebecca Griffiths, Carrie-Ann Savil
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Criterion Collection
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004CIIXC8
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 563 ratings

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
563 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charlotte Radlov
5.0 out of 5 stars A must watch!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Viewer heads-up: some scenes can be triggering/shocking.

It seems like a slow paced movie at first, and makes you wonder where it’s headed to.
But it’s actually a build up of each characters that makes the spectator immerse itself into their peculiar life, to the point where you can smell the cigarets, cringe at times and end up on the edge of your seat, repeatedly saying “nooo waaaay” scene after scene.
In other words, be ready to live the allegory of a teenager’s everyday life in a low income suburb, buried in the outskirts of the big British cities you are used to.
Witness an endless boredom, abuse, low educated, sheltered community, given next to no opportunities to succeed in life.
To me, Fishtank is an absolute cinematic masterpiece that reveals the universal poverty experienced by the many “low” social classes left for dead.
One person found this helpful
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Only-A-Child
5.0 out of 5 stars "Are You A Pikey?"
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2011
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"Fish Tank" (2009) is an odd blend of "Wasp" (Andrea Arnold's 2003 short film) and "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn". The closing scene where Mia (Katie Jarvis) is saying goodbye to her little sister was especially evocative of the last words in Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"; when Francie is about to leave and takes one last look over at the fire escape where 10-year-old Florry Wendy is reading a book, then whispers "Good-bye, Francie".

The film is not for everyone but if you like naturalistic acting and a gritty (often dreary) story you would be well served to track down this film. It is a film of in-your-face close-ups and the 4:3 aspect ratio was a perfect choice for this style. A wider frame would have diminished the intensity while adding nothing.

What Arnold does better than any director I can think of is her acting-for-the-camera direction of young actresses. This was certainly true with the three children in "Wasp", who seemed to effortlessly give Arnold just the underplayed performances she needed. In "Fish Tank" she gently guides Jarvis toward a performance full of gritty authenticity. And she scores again with Rebecca Griffith's tragicomic portrayal of little sister Tyler (with lines as funny as they are poignant).

Griffith's character is especially important because at its core this is a story of free will vs destiny. And Mia must recognize her destiny if she is to change it. This recognition comes with the death of the Irish Traveler horse (symbolized by the chain and concrete block that once constrained it) and with the realization that she and her "chip-off-the-same-block" younger sister are the same person at different stages; traveling the same road to an inevitable nothing. This motivates her to break out of the rut into which she was born, a track where one is distracted by superficial false hopes from seeking real opportunity. Her new road may end badly but she has nothing to lose.

Another nicely directed naturalistic performance is turned in by Sydney Mary Nash as Keira. Her scenes are probably the best in the film, they certainly were the most difficult.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
10 people found this helpful
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Scott Hutcheson
4.0 out of 5 stars This film is a beautiful portrayal of growing up.
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
I didn't know much about this movie, except that Michael Fassbender starred in it and normally Criterion films don't let me down. Here is the synopsis for those not familiar:

"A mother and daughter find themselves locked in an ugly battle over the same man in this drama from writer and director Andrea Arnold. Mia Williams (Katie Jarvis) is 15 years old and lives in a shabby apartment block with her mother, Joanne (Kierston Wareing), and younger sister, Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths). Mia is a reckless and rebellious teenager who frequently argues with her mother and sister and has run afoul of the authorities at school, leading to her being suspended. With plenty of time on her hands, Mia spends her days drinking when she can find alcohol and partying in a empty flat near her apartment. Joanne is a single mother, and she's begun dating a new man, Connor (Michael Fassbender); when Joanne brings him home to meet the girls, Mia is immediately attracted to him, and it's soon clear Connor feels the same way about her. Mia attempts to seduce Connor to take him away from her mother, and when she succeeds, Joanne's greatest anger is not with the man who has slept with her underaged daughter, but the girl who is now a rival for the affections of her lover."

The film won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2009, and Andrea Arnold has followed it up with 2 other outstanding movies. This is a must have for your movie collection, and bluray is absolutely beautiful.
9 people found this helpful
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Bean
5.0 out of 5 stars great movie, none of the usual stereotypes
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2020
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It seems to me that in typical American movies, when people sometimes do things that aren't good or that are selfish, or whatever, are frequently severely judged and are shown as BAD people in everything they do. This British film shows human characters with faults, and sometimes doing bad things, without judgement. Even the worst main characters are still shown as human. The movie is set in a rather bleak atmosphere, with lots of people that don't seem to have many options for the future, or even desires for a better one. They are where they have always been, and carry on with the same lives that you figure their parents had. The main character Mia, is a 15 year old helpless, hostile and lonely girl played by Katie Jarvis that seems destined for the same. If you want a movie that goes beyond the usual stereotypical boundaries pick this one. You will stay glued to it from beginning to end!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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SMVG
5.0 out of 5 stars Desperate but brilliant
Reviewed in Canada on February 7, 2019
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Disturbing but familiar backdrop. The lead is heartbreaking. Already broken.
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Carla Bianchi
5.0 out of 5 stars un film particolare e bellissimo
Reviewed in Italy on October 31, 2014
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Film sempre bellissimo, intenso e coinvolgente. Fassbender nel suo ruolo di cattivo ragazzo è fenomenale e dà dimostrazione delle sue capacità di danza e canto, oltrechè di magnifica interpretazione.
3 people found this helpful
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María
5.0 out of 5 stars Me gusta
Reviewed in Spain on May 12, 2014
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Esta película, que he visto ya tres veces, cada vez me gusta más. La primera vez, incluso me desagradó. Soy una admiradora de Michael Fassbender.
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Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars Mia kämpft...
Reviewed in Germany on October 27, 2012
Verified Purchase
Irgendwo in einer Sozialbausiedlung in Essex an der Ostküste von England: Dort lebt die junge Mia Williams (Katie Jarvis), 15 Jahre alt und Schulabbrecherin. Die Perspektiven für später sind miserabel, aber das Mädchen ist eine Kämpferin, die sich durchboxen will. Sie würde gerne HipHop Tänzerin werden, aber ganz so einfach ist das nicht. Immer wieder übt sie in einer der leerstehenden Wohnungen Tanzschritte ein, zuhause wartet eine Mom (Kierston Wareign), die eher wie eine ältere Schwester auftritt und die kleinere Schwester Tyler (Rebecca Griffith), die ihrer älteren Schwester in Punko frechem Fokablular in Nichts mehr nachsteht. Eines Tages bringt die alleinerziehende Mutter ihren neuen Liebhaber Connor (Michael Fassbender) mit nach Hause, der gleich einen guten Draht zu den Kindern seiner Geliebten aufbaut. Ein paar Tage fühlt sich der attraktive Mann für Mia wie eine Art Vater an, doch sie will sich nichts sagen lassen. Vor allem keine guten Ratschläge. Immer wieder versucht sie ein Pferd zu befreien, dass abgemagert auf dem Grundstück nebenan angekettet ist. Das Pferd gehört dem jungen Kyle (Harry Treadaway) mit dem Mia anfängt zu flirten. Sie merkt aber auch, dass sie den Lover ihrer alkoholkranken Mom sexuell atrraktiv findet. Es beginnt eine verwirrende Zeit für das junge Mädchen...
"Fish Tank" von Andrea Arnold steht ganz stark in der Tradition früherer Britfilm-Klassiker wie "Mein wunderbarer Waschsalon" oder "Billy Elliot" - nach dem Motto die besten Geschichten schreibt immer noch das Leben. Und die heruntergekommenen Arbeitersiedlungen bieten eben eine ganz hohe Dramatik. Dank der Hauptdarstellerin Katie Jarvis, die ihrer Figur Leben und Herz einhaucht, ist der Film allerdings auch immer mit einem hoffnungsvollen Schimmer begleitet, was die Trostlosigkeit zwischen Plattenbau und Betonwüste weniger deprimierend einfängt.
Der Film "Fish Tank" wurde vielfach für den europäischen Filmpreis nominiert, auch bei den Filmfestspielen in Cannes konnte er gemeinsam mit "Durst" (Park Chan-Wook) den Preis der Jury gewinnen.
Der Film ist sehr lebendig und dynamisch und die Szene mit der kleinen Keira (Sydney Marie Nash) ist besonders dramatisch ausgefallen.
5 people found this helpful
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enzo
5.0 out of 5 stars trés beau film en vf
Reviewed in France on September 26, 2012
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Un acteur comme son habitude troublant charismatique monsieur michael fassbender (promothéus, shame , hunger, enden lake, 300 ) et j'en passe , toujours excelent.

Une image parfaite pour le dvd rien à dire
Le son en VO envoutant il y à bien des sous titres français de plus une version française dolby 5.1

de bon bonus intrigants
et une histoire captivante ce qui ne gache rien
cordialement
2 people found this helpful
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