The scope of the movie is completely Mia's experience; the camera moves with her in almost every shot... FISH TANK fits well in the British tradition of social realism movies, but banishes any sentimentality in exchange for allowing its characters to respond fully to their ever-worsening circumstances. Still, in all that goes wrong, Arnold provides Mia, and thereby the audience, small moments of rest, beauty, and limited transcendence.
Candace Wirt
January 29, 2010