Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold combines kitchen sink realism with dashes of Terrence Malick-like scenes of immense beauty. When Mia allows herself to feel, time slows down and sounds and smells and sensations are amplified. She dances and listens to angry rappers because that's what she relates to, but she knows that she's not meant for greater things.

The film both upholds some expectations of what's to come and surprises you with a refreshing lack of missteps and cliches. It doesn't paint a grimy gritty picture of high-rise, low-income Britain, nor does it make poverty beautiful. It is what it is. Unlike the films of the Dardennes and their imitators, when Mia walks, she walks with a purpose. Intense realism doesn't have to mean a focus on the mundane. There is life and energy to every frame here.

Michael Fassbender is once again amazing as Connor. You understand when Connor comes into her mother's life, why Mia pushes him away like she does everyone else but is also attracted to him. The real find is the phenomenal Katie Jarvis as Mia, who storms through every scene in this movie without a lick of conceit. In a world where Jenny from An Education - a rich spoiled brat who dreams of an existence more pretentious than the one she already has - is lauded as a strong female character, here is someone worthy of your attention.