Fish Tank (2009)
What's up Italy and Georgia (the country)? Enough of the serial killer stuff right?
When movies are a part of the criterion collection, it usually means that it's pretty good. There are times that they are perhaps way too artsy for my liking and go right over my head but I can still respect them for being well done. Sometimes I think they are just kind of boring. Fish Tank is one of the newest movies to make the collection and here we go.
I noticed a few things right from the beginning. There are hot Emma Watson/Kiera Knightley British accents and then there are your “ello govanah” accents. This movie is clearly going to feature the latter. Also British people drop the c word like it's no big deal. Daughters say it to their moms and people yell it to each other across the street. No big deal. Movie settles down to a bunch of grumpy looking girls dancing. The girl who turns out to be the main character, Mia, walks up to them and punches one of them in the face. Possibly fairly common in England too? If you remember my post from the fighter, girls in physical altercations is never attractive. Mia continues her day by walking down the street and trying to free a horse that was tied up in a junkyard. Am I all over the place? If so, it is because so is the movie and I had no idea what the movie would be about yet.
Mia gets home and her mom calls her the c word. I don't think that's the best parenting. Also one can note that she doesn't appear to be all that old compared to her 15 year old daughter Mia. After yelling back, Mia sneaks away to an abandoned apartment to drink and dance it out. Now I am for sure no dancer so judging her could be a little hypocritical. She isn't that great though and certainly isn't movie worthy good. Still have no idea what the movie is about. Mia walks back to the horse and tries to free it again. This time a few guys bust her and then kind rough her up a bit. Steal her things and pick her up then not letting her go. Stuff like that. It wasn't good. Now I'm all for slow building, character development driven movies but we are a good ways into the movie and there is still really no plot at all. Just a British teenager with a dirty mouth living.
She goes home from the failed horsecapade and meets her moms new boyfriend. It's the guy who played Wolverine in the newest X-Men movie. He's a good actor so I was pretty stoked to see him. I thought he was German though so it was weird to hear him drop a solid accent but I looked him up and he's a German who grew up in Ireland. It all makes sense. Anyway she steals money out of his wallet after saying bye to him and her mom. It should be noted that her mom is a skank and a half as well. Before leaving to spend the money we see her like 8 year old sister smoking. It's a full on broken home.
Mia arrives back home and the mom is having a party so she is shunned to her room. There is some serious grinding going on downstairs so it's better that she leaves. Mia snags a bottle of something, gets plastered and passes out. Wolverine picks her up and takes her to her bed. It's a good dadly thing to do. He takes her shoes off which is also good. Then he takes her jeans off which is pretty date rapey and I freaked out a little. She is awake during all of this too, just pretending to be asleep. Finally Wolverine puts a blanket on her and everything is all good again.
They all go out for a nice drive the next day as a “family”. They end up at this nice looking field and pond area. Real country. Wolverine walks into the pond and noodles out a catfish like only Wolverine could. Mia cuts her foot on something and he gives her a piggy back ride so she stays off the foot. What a guy. Now the movie is starting to take shape now, it's going to be about Mia and Wolverine's relationship. We get back to the dancing and Mia is watching some routines on youtube in an internet cafe. Maybe the UK is 10 years behind the US with the internet. Not my readers though. She goes back and Wolverine asks to see her moves which I have to say, are still not impressive.
The movie is probably half over now and I am still having trouble picking up what the characters are saying because the accent is so thick. I get the bright idea to throw on the subtitles which happen to be big, yellow and ugly. For a movie in the only language that I speak. A new low or serious dedication? First thing that subtitles clear up is that instead of saying “Give me a sec”, the Brits say “Give us a sec” . How about that? Mia finds a paper for an music audition and wants to make a video for it. I began now to think that she is being a bad break dancer on purpose to get attention. You know when people say that the only way you'll make it out of the hood is with your basketball skills? Well if basketball was dancing then Mia isn't going anywhere fast. After laying down some funky fresh moves on video, she returns home to see Wolverine and her mom “going at it”. It's a little graphic for me and the big yellow subtitle moans and dirty talk doesn't make things better. Barely five minutes into being able to understand what people are saying and I instantly regret it.
LOTS OF SPOILERS BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN THE END
She, like everyone, leaves home and runs into one of the guys who had the horse. He turns out to be an o.k. dude. They get drunk which again is the way I imagine a lot of people's day ending in the UK. Not so different than the US. She goes back home again and the mom says some pretty mean stuff. Mean enough that I can understand why Mia is such a rebel. Am I repeating myself too much with the Mia leaves then she comes back home and then she leaves again and then she comes back home? Sorry but that is all that is happening. Mia sends in her dance tape and miraculously gets an audition call back. The next scene is her dancing in silence with headphones on which I did like. Makes you feel like you are really there. She comes home that night and Wolverine is on the couch alone watching TV. He asks to see her dance again and she does it. Then they make out which has been coming for like 45 minutes now. He is drunk and extra creepy. The making out turns into a full on bangin session. It's WRONG! I am now convinced that subtitles should not be used during sex scenes, especially ones featuring a dirty talking drunk German practicing a little statutory rape. Some words should just not be on my TV in text form. I now am certain what this movie is about. It only took about 15 seconds after they finished for him to say lets not tell this to your mom. If the mom didn't get wasted herself and pass out up stairs then none of this would've happened and it's all her fault. Not really though.
The morning everyone wakes up and Wolverine has vanished. That's classic Wolverine. The mom tells Mia that she nearly had her aborted and I think the little sister saw the happenings on from the night before and informed mommy. She tracks him down at his home and he informs her that sleeping with a 15 year old is a nono and they can't talk anymore. Wolverine drives her to the train station but she walks back to his house and breaks in. Now everyone is in the wrong. While there alone, Mia finds out that Wolverine has a full other family. Get ready for this, she just squats over and pees on the carpet. Friggin weird. I'm also not a scientist but there could be DNA in urine so she might not want to be leaving that there. Plus it's super gross.
She hears someone coming in and skips out the back. Somehow she kidnaps Wolverine's daughter and walks her to the sea or something. First breaking in, then peeing and now kidnapping? Talk about a slippery slope. Mia chucks the girl in the ocean and I thought for sure she would be dead but ends up popping up. The girl going into the water seemed to wake up Mia (and the girl) and you can tell she's realized that she's no killer and doesn't want to hurt this innocent little girl. She drops the girl off but Wolverine tracks her down, chases her into a field and then literally punches her. Again, classic Wolverine. He only gives her that one shot and then lets her go.
Next day is Mia's big audition. I am excited for her and hope she does well. Something needs to go right for her after all. When she arrives at the club there are a bunch of strippers dancing. Maybe this isn't right for her and I don't want her to get the job anymore. It's her time to get on stage and she gets up there in her sweats. The music starts and thankfully she just walks off. No more slope. She walks over to the horse guys place and the horse is gone. He said she got old and sick and had to put her down. This pushes Mia over the edge and she breaks down crying. I don't blame her and if I was physically able to cry, I might have joined her. The horse lived to 16 and she is 15. Does that have anything to do with it? Who knows. Horse guy is going away and asks her to come with him. She goes home to pack and the mom tells her to F off. Real nice. Music starts playing and the mom, Mia and the little sister all start dancing together. It's supposed to be the scene where they all come together and you feel better but all I could see is that the mom didn't have a bra on and her business is really right in your face. I'm sorry, it was a tank top. There is your sort of closure scene. Mia gets in the car with horse guy, they start to drive away and the little sister runs after the car yelling that she will miss her. At least someone will.
WAS THAT ENOUGH?
Favorite Scene : Mia's dance for Wolverine before all the madness started. It was just shot really, really well.
Memorable Lines : “You need sortin' out, you do”
Rating : 6.5 cadbury eggs. There are things about the movie that are great. The acting was always on. There are scene's that were shot great too. But there is just not a lot of movie here in my opinion. Like if someone pitched this story to me, I would've said that it is good but do we really need a movie made out of it. Maybe I wasn't just super into it either. Like I said in the beginning, I kind of liked it but I definitely respect it as a piece of art.
Alternate Ending : MORE SPOILERS. Anything that happened in the movie is a spoiler so I couldn't think of a way around it. Mia kills the daughter and Wolverine hunts her down Liam Neeson style. “I will find you and I am going to kill you” with a swear word or four place in the middle.
What I would've done if I was the main character: Not dance and go to a bunch of Arsenal games which is something I want to do bad. Maybe I'd try making some friends and not punch girls faces unless that is the best way to make friends. Then I'd definitely punch girls about their faces. Finally, learn to drive on the left side of the road. Use that skill to drive far away from home with my sister never to return.
What happens in the sequel : MORE SPOILERS X2 Does it seem like Wolverine gets off easy? Nothing bad happens to him. Mia ends up pregnant and goes to see Wolverine's wife. His life collapses. Creep.
Fish Tank (2009)
What's up Italy and Georgia (the country)? Enough of the serial killer stuff right?
When movies are a part of the criterion collection, it usually means that it's pretty good. There are times that they are perhaps way too artsy for my liking and go right over my head but I can still respect them for being well done. Sometimes I think they are just kind of boring. Fish Tank is one of the newest movies to make the collection and here we go.
I noticed a few things right from the beginning. There are hot Emma Watson/Kiera Knightley British accents and then there are your “ello govanah” accents. This movie is clearly going to feature the latter. Also British people drop the c word like it's no big deal. Daughters say it to their moms and people yell it to each other across the street. No big deal. Movie settles down to a bunch of grumpy looking girls dancing. The girl who turns out to be the main character, Mia, walks up to them and punches one of them in the face. Possibly fairly common in England too? If you remember my post from the fighter, girls in physical altercations is never attractive. Mia continues her day by walking down the street and trying to free a horse that was tied up in a junkyard. Am I all over the place? If so, it is because so is the movie and I had no idea what the movie would be about yet.
Mia gets home and her mom calls her the c word. I don't think that's the best parenting. Also one can note that she doesn't appear to be all that old compared to her 15 year old daughter Mia. After yelling back, Mia sneaks away to an abandoned apartment to drink and dance it out. Now I am for sure no dancer so judging her could be a little hypocritical. She isn't that great though and certainly isn't movie worthy good. Still have no idea what the movie is about. Mia walks back to the horse and tries to free it again. This time a few guys bust her and then kind rough her up a bit. Steal her things and pick her up then not letting her go. Stuff like that. It wasn't good. Now I'm all for slow building, character development driven movies but we are a good ways into the movie and there is still really no plot at all. Just a British teenager with a dirty mouth living.
She goes home from the failed horsecapade and meets her moms new boyfriend. It's the guy who played Wolverine in the newest X-Men movie. He's a good actor so I was pretty stoked to see him. I thought he was German though so it was weird to hear him drop a solid accent but I looked him up and he's a German who grew up in Ireland. It all makes sense. Anyway she steals money out of his wallet after saying bye to him and her mom. It should be noted that her mom is a skank and a half as well. Before leaving to spend the money we see her like 8 year old sister smoking. It's a full on broken home.
Mia arrives back home and the mom is having a party so she is shunned to her room. There is some serious grinding going on downstairs so it's better that she leaves. Mia snags a bottle of something, gets plastered and passes out. Wolverine picks her up and takes her to her bed. It's a good dadly thing to do. He takes her shoes off which is also good. Then he takes her jeans off which is pretty date rapey and I freaked out a little. She is awake during all of this too, just pretending to be asleep. Finally Wolverine puts a blanket on her and everything is all good again.
They all go out for a nice drive the next day as a “family”. They end up at this nice looking field and pond area. Real country. Wolverine walks into the pond and noodles out a catfish like only Wolverine could. Mia cuts her foot on something and he gives her a piggy back ride so she stays off the foot. What a guy. Now the movie is starting to take shape now, it's going to be about Mia and Wolverine's relationship. We get back to the dancing and Mia is watching some routines on youtube in an internet cafe. Maybe the UK is 10 years behind the US with the internet. Not my readers though. She goes back and Wolverine asks to see her moves which I have to say, are still not impressive.
The movie is probably half over now and I am still having trouble picking up what the characters are saying because the accent is so thick. I get the bright idea to throw on the subtitles which happen to be big, yellow and ugly. For a movie in the only language that I speak. A new low or serious dedication? First thing that subtitles clear up is that instead of saying “Give me a sec”, the Brits say “Give us a sec” . How about that? Mia finds a paper for an music audition and wants to make a video for it. I began now to think that she is being a bad break dancer on purpose to get attention. You know when people say that the only way you'll make it out of the hood is with your basketball skills? Well if basketball was dancing then Mia isn't going anywhere fast. After laying down some funky fresh moves on video, she returns home to see Wolverine and her mom “going at it”. It's a little graphic for me and the big yellow subtitle moans and dirty talk doesn't make things better. Barely five minutes into being able to understand what people are saying and I instantly regret it.
LOTS OF SPOILERS BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN THE END
She, like everyone, leaves home and runs into one of the guys who had the horse. He turns out to be an o.k. dude. They get drunk which again is the way I imagine a lot of people's day ending in the UK. Not so different than the US. She goes back home again and the mom says some pretty mean stuff. Mean enough that I can understand why Mia is such a rebel. Am I repeating myself too much with the Mia leaves then she comes back home and then she leaves again and then she comes back home? Sorry but that is all that is happening. Mia sends in her dance tape and miraculously gets an audition call back. The next scene is her dancing in silence with headphones on which I did like. Makes you feel like you are really there. She comes home that night and Wolverine is on the couch alone watching TV. He asks to see her dance again and she does it. Then they make out which has been coming for like 45 minutes now. He is drunk and extra creepy. The making out turns into a full on bangin session. It's WRONG! I am now convinced that subtitles should not be used during sex scenes, especially ones featuring a dirty talking drunk German practicing a little statutory rape. Some words should just not be on my TV in text form. I now am certain what this movie is about. It only took about 15 seconds after they finished for him to say lets not tell this to your mom. If the mom didn't get wasted herself and pass out up stairs then none of this would've happened and it's all her fault. Not really though.
The morning everyone wakes up and Wolverine has vanished. That's classic Wolverine. The mom tells Mia that she nearly had her aborted and I think the little sister saw the happenings on from the night before and informed mommy. She tracks him down at his home and he informs her that sleeping with a 15 year old is a nono and they can't talk anymore. Wolverine drives her to the train station but she walks back to his house and breaks in. Now everyone is in the wrong. While there alone, Mia finds out that Wolverine has a full other family. Get ready for this, she just squats over and pees on the carpet. Friggin weird. I'm also not a scientist but there could be DNA in urine so she might not want to be leaving that there. Plus it's super gross.
She hears someone coming in and skips out the back. Somehow she kidnaps Wolverine's daughter and walks her to the sea or something. First breaking in, then peeing and now kidnapping? Talk about a slippery slope. Mia chucks the girl in the ocean and I thought for sure she would be dead but ends up popping up. The girl going into the water seemed to wake up Mia (and the girl) and you can tell she's realized that she's no killer and doesn't want to hurt this innocent little girl. She drops the girl off but Wolverine tracks her down, chases her into a field and then literally punches her. Again, classic Wolverine. He only gives her that one shot and then lets her go.
Next day is Mia's big audition. I am excited for her and hope she does well. Something needs to go right for her after all. When she arrives at the club there are a bunch of strippers dancing. Maybe this isn't right for her and I don't want her to get the job anymore. It's her time to get on stage and she gets up there in her sweats. The music starts and thankfully she just walks off. No more slope. She walks over to the horse guys place and the horse is gone. He said she got old and sick and had to put her down. This pushes Mia over the edge and she breaks down crying. I don't blame her and if I was physically able to cry, I might have joined her. The horse lived to 16 and she is 15. Does that have anything to do with it? Who knows. Horse guy is going away and asks her to come with him. She goes home to pack and the mom tells her to F off. Real nice. Music starts playing and the mom, Mia and the little sister all start dancing together. It's supposed to be the scene where they all come together and you feel better but all I could see is that the mom didn't have a bra on and her business is really right in your face. I'm sorry, it was a tank top. There is your sort of closure scene. Mia gets in the car with horse guy, they start to drive away and the little sister runs after the car yelling that she will miss her. At least someone will.
WAS THAT ENOUGH?
Favorite Scene : Mia's dance for Wolverine before all the madness started. It was just shot really, really well.
Memorable Lines : “You need sortin' out, you do”
Rating : 6.5 cadbury eggs. There are things about the movie that are great. The acting was always on. There are scene's that were shot great too. But there is just not a lot of movie here in my opinion. Like if someone pitched this story to me, I would've said that it is good but do we really need a movie made out of it. Maybe I wasn't just super into it either. Like I said in the beginning, I kind of liked it but I definitely respect it as a piece of art.
Alternate Ending : MORE SPOILERS. Anything that happened in the movie is a spoiler so I couldn't think of a way around it. Mia kills the daughter and Wolverine hunts her down Liam Neeson style. “I will find you and I am going to kill you” with a swear word or four place in the middle.
What I would've done if I was the main character: Not dance and go to a bunch of Arsenal games which is something I want to do bad. Maybe I'd try making some friends and not punch girls faces unless that is the best way to make friends. Then I'd definitely punch girls about their faces. Finally, learn to drive on the left side of the road. Use that skill to drive far away from home with my sister never to return.
What happens in the sequel : MORE SPOILERS X2 Does it seem like Wolverine gets off easy? Nothing bad happens to him. Mia ends up pregnant and goes to see Wolverine's wife. His life collapses. Creep.
Mia may or may not be busting a move
Mom looking bummed
Wolverine snacking
Mia and horse
Mia and horse guy
Mia and Wolverine chatting it up
Tea with the Queen!
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