Angry, unpredictable teenager Mia storms through this movie, carrying the awed audience with her. Katie Jarvis, in her first role as Mia, has a natural charisma and is able to carry this intriguing, subtle and complex film seemingly effortlessly. Fassbender, as always, is mesmerising and perfect as the kind and mysterious new boyfriend of Mia's mother. This is a small film that packs a big emotional punch and will leave you wanting to watch it again. The little sound and visual touches and the atmosphere in every single scene = nothing short of exceptional.

1st things first after reading other reviews I have to educate some of you people who have never lived in this sort of environment in the UK:This family is NOT working class or lower middle class. They are a sub class of people more commonly referred to as "Chavs" in the UK. Connor, played by Fassbender is a working class guy. Just for reference Doctors and Judges are "middle class" types of people.The guys in the caravan are referred to as "Gypo's, Travellers or Pikey's". In the UK a lot of "Chavs" like to think they are "Pikey's" and vise versa.Mia thinks she is a great dancer, but obviously is not. This is portrayed well in the film. Her dancing is MEANT to look amateurish! After clearing up a few things I have to say that this is a great film. Mia - (Katie Jarvis) acting is superb. The natural lighting particularly used inside the council flat scenes added to the realism. The story was very believable and a lot of people with experience of living in a similar sort of background can identify with it. This film is a must watch, if you are a fan of gritty "working class" drama. If you like this one I recommend (If you haven't already) to watch: The Selfish Giant, Tyrannosaur, Dead Man's Shoes, This is England, The Acid House, Harry Brown, The Firm (Gary Oldman), Scum and Boys from the Blackstuff (TV Series).

I never thought it was possible for any movie to make me hate Michael Fassbender; hell, I saw Shame. That was a tough film, but it still didn't disgust me the way this movie did, and that's saying something.A terrible movie about terrible people being terrible to each other. Not to mention the glaring fault of it having no plot whatsoever. Oh, and let's not forget the part where a 30-something MARRIED man rapes a 15 year old girl. And then the girl kidnaps his kid, sort of drowns her but doesn't, and then takes her right back home for no apparent reason. But hey, I'm sure that's just 'realism'.So the lead actress did nothing to earn her role but argue with her prat bf in a train station, that doesn't mean this movie has 'grit'. "Hey, there's a homeless guy down the street who eats excrement, but he's NEVER acted before let's put him in a movie omg we'll get tons of awards!" Sadly, that last bit would probably earn an Oscar.TL; DR: at least in Flashdance the chick could actually dance. Don't watch this movie, spare yourself 2 wasted hours.

This film truly has something quite profound and important to say, but does so without straining to say too much. This contradiction is one within which the film operates throughout and which gives it a sense of a painful and claustrophobic reality. Nothing is linear, or obvious, and everything has its moments of humanity and beauty.Desperately trapped in her 'fish tank' of a world, Mia is loud, unpleasant and aggressive. The viewer isn't allowed to get too comfortable with these first impressions and soon we learn that she also clearly yearns for moments of quietness and humanity; this is most starkly symbolized by the chained horse which she is inexplicably drawn to, desperate to release it. There are also moments of solitude devoted to her amateur break dancing, which is filmed beautifully to look almost balletic,giving it the gravity it deserves. Here once again, Mia is trapped within the limitations of her untrained body. There is so much beauty within, which is painfully expressed through her limited physical abilities. The horse is ultimately put down, just as Mia's own hopes of a future as a dancer are dashed.The contradictions continue as Mia makes painful attempts to step outside of her world. Her touchingly naive sense of her own sexuality and power to seduce are in stark contrast to the role of the aggressive little adult that's been forced upon her. So when she is taken by surprise by her mother's boyfriend's sexual advances (even after provocatively dancing for him), and later walks out of the strip-club auditions after, somewhat naively, realizing what they were, it all makes perfect sense. The same girl who wanted to release the horse is simultaneously possibly capable of harming a young child, whilst the man who awakened in Mia a quiet joy in nature and gave her the sense of a caring paternal presence, is also an adulterer, who takes advantage of an underage girl. This is a film that does not seek moralize or preach - it lets the viewer have a sense of agency, but also forces us to stay in that uncomfortable grey area, where, rather than celebrating adversity overcome, we are confronted with it head on and left to draw our own (possibly painful)conclusions. Life circumstances do shape us, but rather than giving us a neatly tied up Hollywood ending, where our protagonist is released from her shackles, we are given a much more quiet celebration of profound moments within a bleak and dreary life and landscape.