Fish Tank (2010)

A tough tenement girl on the outs with her friends and perpetually at odds with her single mother softens a bit when her mom brings home a new boyfriend. He takes a real interest in her and she responds to his encouragement and generosity, even though she can’t drop her guard completely. I was let down a bit by the ending, but the fault lies completely with what I was hoping for and didn't get. I was genuinely disappointed, which just proves how real the characters felt to me.

B+