fish tank

so, i really want you to watch, fish tank, a 2009 british film, starring, katie jarvis. unlike a lot of films i see these days, this one has become pretty important to me. not only is it a great film, that i think a lot of people will enjoy, but it's also a really accurate and affecting portrayal of the female experience (which, i don't think is, generally, appreciated or dealt with honestly in cinema).

katie jarvis plays, mia, who is my favorite kind of character - she's fifteen years old, foul-mouthed and willing to break your nose if she doesn't like your dancing. she lives with her young, hot, single mum, joanne, and little sister, tyler. the dynamics in their small essex apartment are precarious to say the least and when joanne's delicious-looking and apparently sweet-hearted boyfriend moves in, things take an interesting turn.

what's particularly moving about this film is that it captures a particular moment, that i think a lot of women experience at some point in their lives. director and writer, andrea arnold, perfectly depicts the experience of first realizing that most of your value, as a female, is placed on your sexuality. arnold shows how women come to understand that their bodies are wanted and how that feeling can often being validating and/or violating. there are several interpretations of this throughout the film, each one is as subtle and unique to it's experiencer, as real life.

i loved this film. and so did everyone else, apparently. it won several awards including, the british independent award, for best director, as well as a cannes jury prize. so if that's not enough to convince you to watch this film, i don't know what is.