I just watched a shocking movie. Actually I was going to write about something else, but this movie has changed my mood a bit.
The movie is called "Fish Tank" and is about a 15 year old girl living with her mum and sister in a shabby housing estate in England. This is a superb movie. Where other movies would have tried to make the unattractive surrounding gloomy and unwelcoming, this movie tinged nearly the whole set in a warm and cosy evening light.
Fish Tank shows the every day life of the girl, how her mum constantly swears at her, how her mum gets an annoyingly nice boyfriend, how the annoyingly nice boyfriend ends up fucking the girl and then rushes off to his family, how the girl kidnaps the guy's little daughter and how she wants to audition for a dance job, which turns out to be more like a brothel.
Look at the trailer and you might get the feel.
This movie was so shocking. I couldnt get over the tension between the girl's mum, the girl and the girl's sister. They NEVER spoke to each other without using either "whore, cunt, bitch, asshole or hate" in a sentence.
I was even more shocked to see her sister (roughly 10 years old) smoking and drinking beer with her little friend.
And finally I was even more shocked to see the girl's mum's boyfriend getting closer and closer to her, finally fucking her and then just simply walking off. I could literally feel her pain when he walked away, saying that he'd "talk" to her tomorrow. He then went back to his cute little semi-detached home with a yard, wife and little child.
How fucked up is that?
This might sound silly, but I am really thankful for having such a "normal" life and a caring family which gave me the opportunity to see the world.
Has anyone else seen the movie?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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6 comments:
Hey BB, finally had a chance to watch Fish Tank....I enjoyed it (if it is correct to say you would enjoy a movie like that) but man quite a bummer. The ending dance scene with mom and daughters was sentimental but also surreal. The scene with young girl in water was terrifying!
You know, it kind of reminded me of the movie "Mysterious Skin"...have you seen that? wow, now that is a disturbing movie!
tom, great to hear that you "enjoyed" the movie.
The dance scene...could be interpreted as many things, right...but I found the mum's behaviour...despicable.
it's actually not a grand movie is it...pretty gritty and down to earth. and the filming...god...the whole movie was in some sort of yellow-y, orange-y light. love to have this light in my pictures too.
can I ask you...did you watch the movie because of this blog post?
Yeah that dance scene was really layered deep. I don't blame the mom so much, even though she was despicable, as you say. I think she was raised just as she raised her children, if you can call it that. she just didn't know any better.
The one I really hated was that boyfriend....what a scumbag! going back to his family after all that, trying to run away from his stupid evil actions. I have to admit, the daughter really got back at him with what she did. Maybe he'll think twice about fu**ing people over like he did....but probably not.
I noticed what you had said in your blog about the lighting....so soft, beautiful, really. So in contrast to the vapidness of the lives it is illuminating.
Is it just me or was the daughter's dancing totally retarded? Maybe I'm not a good judge of dancing but I thought it was really weird, almost catatonic. I like all kinds of hip hop dance, but just thought she was pathetic. But maybe that was the point.....
I did watch because of your blog! Thanks for the review!
Hey, I just watched 'Spread', with Ashton Kutcher, last night....not a fantastic movie, but very good in parts, and a very heavy R with lots of steamy sex scenes. Check it out!
Tom.
why dont you blame the mum? she has two daughters and really does nothing for them. she is not nice in any of the scene and never encourages any of them to do anything. that's very bad of a parent I think...
I didnt like the guy either. what a prick to go fuck the girl, and then just leave her there. it meant so much for her....but nothing for him. that was wrong.
but it's also quite human in a way....at least he did the right thing and never followed up on it. and his reaction to the girl running away with his daughter was ok.
the beauty of this movie is that even though there is a lot of "wrong" going on, we dont have someone to blame. bravo for that!
and I am proud you watched it because of my blog. these days I dont get feedback anymore (dont know, maybe the people are not happy with me....?) so I am double-pleased about this.
I will check out your recommendations....I havent seen them yet.
but for sex scenes I'd rather watch.... you know what I mean:)
You know, I do blame the mom, but then again if she doesn't know any better because she was treated the way her mom treated her then it's a cycle of abuse she may not even know she is in. But man, someone should have been able to take those kids away from her at some point. I guess that is a comment on British child welfare systems...
I think that F-ing the daughter meant a lot to the guy, he certainly worked hard for it! But all along he knew it was wrong, and that showed in his guilt and running away over what he did. But how can you trust a guy like that, especially when his own daughter gets older. Sheesh!
I guess we can blame society there, how it doesn't protect children, how alcoholism and the abuses it causes are so prevalent, and other effects. Lord knows that they are not the only country in the world with this type systemic dysfunction.
OK, so, the movie "Mysterious skin" and the movie "Little Children" both deal with similar issues, at least regarding societal neglect of children and the after effects of child abuse. Both powerful and stay-with-you kind of stories.
Hey, I was going to ask, are you going to continue your blog on after you leave Bangkok? I hope so!
Well. Taking children away from their parents can only be ultima ratio....only in absolute emergencies. one could debate whether it's better for these kids to grow up in such a hardened environement, or without their parents in a posh family? Not sure, ey....
I think I wouldnt draw any political conclusions from the movie, but rather sociological ones!
I dont think it meant so much to him....I recognise some of that behaviour in myself sometimes to be honest...I think he just really liked her, but was just a bit beguiled (can I use that word???) by her. he was mesmerised. but there was nothing serious. yes, I do think he liked her, but yeah....not like he was going to be with her...
oh the dancing really was odd. I mean....maybe I am not up to date anymore, but I found it a bit funny...
I am downloading mysterious skin as we speak. lets see.
my blog after bangkok? well look at the title and then you know the answer:)
but I will keep blogging in one way or another. I think I want to blog more seriously to be able to have a broader base but I couldnt find a new name, purpose or niche yet. :)
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