2009 · 2h 3m
Fifteen-year-old Mia is in a constant state of war with her family and the world around her. When she meets her party-girl mother’s charming new boyfriend Connor, she is amazed to find he returns her attention, and believes he might help her start to make sense of her life.
Directed by Andrea Arnold
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Kate Jarvis is on great form here as the vulnerably odious "Mia". Living with her mother and sister, she is unruly and uncaring. Nobody cares about her and she cheerfully reciprocates. That is, however, until her mum (Kierston Wareing) brings home a hot new boyfriend. "Connor" (Michael Fassbender) has no time for her histrionics which infuriates her even more. Meantime, she has determined to free an horse that is owned by some local lads and chained near their caravans. Armed with an hammer, well that doesn't quite go to plan - but she does meet "Billy" (Harry Treadaway) so maybe it's not a complete disaster. It's quite clear what her agenda is, and the quickly paced drama illustrates just how wily she can be at achieving it. This is where the story rather falls off a cliff for me. Too much baggage is dumped on us and the already pretty unlikeable envious "Mia" proceeds to behave in such a reckless and thoughtless manner that any sympathy I had for her evaporated. There's precisely no chemistry between Jarvis and Fassbender (or even Treadaway) and that doesn't help convince that there is anything real here. It's noisy and earthy enough, sure, but just how did she ever become this teenage harridan and why ought anyone - family or otherwise - give a damn at all about "Mia". A very strong and convincing effort from Jarvis, though.
