Before he bared it all in Shame, Michael Fassbender proved he had star power to spare in 2009’s BAFTA–winning film Fish Tank. This micro–indie has probably been seen by about five people, but Netflix Instant can help remedy that. Learning a bit about the flick will whet your appetite and get your mouse pads a–clickin’.
Newcomer Katie Jarvis stars as 15–year–old Mia, a rebel chick and street dancer with sneers to spare. Director Andrea Arnold depicts a gritty, grim portrait of the broken home she was raised in, where the booze flows freely but parental guidance and compassion are hard to come by.
Mia’s life is turned upside–down when her mom brings home handsome new boyfriend Connor, played by Fassbender. Mia and Connor soon develop a relationship that breaks all the rules while constantly remaining real — thanks to two grounded, fully lived–in performances. The film refuses to judge either character, which is likely why it is so unsettling; even when Connor commits unspeakable acts, Arnold simply sits back and allows Fassbender’s natural magnetism to pull us in anyway.
