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2009 has seen the release of two excellent European films addressing the subject of adolescence. Sweden's 'Let The Right One In' explored childhood relationships against the backdrop of vampirism and despite having its roots entrenched in horror it was ultimately a beautiful drama about two lost souls who find each other.'Fish Tank' is much more focused on real-life modern day Britain, as 15 year-old Mia Willams (brilliantly played by newcomer Katie Jarvis) fights a losing battle against life. Mia hates her family, her fellow teenagers and her environment and is in turn hated. She is alienated, disillusioned and angry at life. When asked by her mother's boyfriend Connor what her favourite animal is, she quickly replies 'a white tiger' - an animal which, when caged, perfectly captures the repression and frustration that overwhelms Mia every day.Desperate for an escape, she ultimately falls for Connor, the only adult who treats her with any degree of respect, and begins trying to claw her way out of her current lifestyle, the ending of the film seemingly positive but essentially ambiguous about whether the grass is ever greener. Like 'Kes' with a female protagonist, Fish Tank is one of the most powerful films that I have ever seen. The interaction between characters is at once convincing and the plot a million miles away from typical Hollywood cliché.My choice for best film of 2009.
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