Director Andrea Arnold is somewhat of a council estate film specialist, having impressed globaly with Red Road, which was set on gritty Red Road estate in Glasgow, she has now turned to Barking, and gobby newcomer Katie Jarvis. Inbetween nutting ex-best friends, starting arguments with 'pikeys', and bickering with her unhealthily tanned little sister, Jarvis's character 15 year old Mia, lives a lonely, painful life, having no-one to talk to, that would actually listen, or care. That is until her mum's new boyfriend, Connor (played by a well fed Fassbender) comes on the scene, he's interesting, fun, clever and actually seems to care about Mia and her sister. The close relationship between them enhances and we begin to consider Connor's real interest in Mia, and as it becomes dangerous it's questionable whether Connor knew what he was doing or was just intoxicated by the feisty young girl. Did Mia know what was she doing? After over-hearing Connor's private conversations did she set out to ruin him in whatever way she saw fit?
The tone of the film is set wonderfully upon the harsh municipal architecture of the estate, and surrounding Essex areas. The performances are excellent, film gripping and understandable won the Jury Prize Ex-aequo at Cannes this year. Jarvis, who has been widely reported to have been spotted by Arnold after having an argument with her boyfriend at a train station is an unlikely star, not being able to attend the premier as she was at home with her newly born child (fathered by the aforementioned boyfriend), put a lot of her self into the performance, having left home at 16 she could relate to a lot of Mia's character. It's still unknown whether she'll continue acting, which would be a shame, although I would worry that she'd be typecast like I suspect Thomas Turgoose of This Is England fame has been.
