MovieChat Forums > Fish Tank (2009) Discussion > Something I Just Noticed: After He Takes...

Something I Just Noticed: After He Takes Her Pants Off...

posted 11 years ago by Suriname86
24 replies | jump to latest

1. ...he leaves and the door shuts behind him and there is a poster behind the door of a tiger stalking prey, its eyes looking directly at Mia. I don't think it's a coincidence; I think it's meant to establish his intentions early-on and that taking him her pants off for bed was not "innocent." There are other closeup shots throughout the film of Connor silently staring directly at Mia (breakfast, the car scene in the beginning, when she showed up to his job, on the couch when she comes back from hanging with that boy, etc...), reminiscent of the tiger poster.

2. I also noticed that when she first walks downstairs the morning after, he's talking about his mom "treating him like a kid..." and such. I knew he'd mentioned getting kicked out of his mom's but, I hadn't noticed this conversation before.

3. Another conversation, slightly disturbing considering what he did to Mia. The morning after Mia sees Mom and Connor having sex, she grabs the camera. During that shot, the sister and Connor are having a conversation in the background. Listen Carefully:

Sister: How long are you going to be?
Connor: What's it to you squirt?
S: I have to pee.
C: Go ahead. I won't look.
S: You have to close your eyes.
C: I can't, I'll cut my throat.

He's shaving in the bathroom and suggested that she use the toilet while he's there. Assuming it's not an improvised scene, then these are very deliberate lines of dialogue. You have to wonder what the director wanted convey.

Almost everytime I watch this movie, I spot something different. Fascinating film.

[–] littlesue-567-593153 11 years ago

His behaviour is much too familiar with the kids at that early stage of a relationship, probably using it at first to be a regular in the Mother's pants!

[–] Suriname86 11 years ago

But, it wasn't only the mother's pants he ended up in.

[–] littlesue-567-593153 11 years ago

No but at first it would have been, she probably only told him the next morning that she had kids.

[–] Suriname86 11 years ago

There's no way to know that.

[–] whatwouldyoudoforaklondi 10 years ago

If you listen closely after the scene in the kitchen where they first meet, when he takes the tea upstairs, the mother jokingly says that she's surprised he didn't take off after finding out she has kids.

[–] maria-virokhovsky 11 years ago

Are you suggesting he's a pedophile? I think it was all innocent, but foreshadowing that he will end up doing Mia. However, after sleeping with her, he felt uneasy about it, it was obvious, and left them the next morning. I think he was shocked that it actually happened, it wasn't delibirate, he was drunk. Although you cannot help noticing that he's attracted to her more than to her mother. Also, I felt that seeing her with a boy gave him a green light, he might have thought that the girl, like a mom, wouldn't mind a nice shag.

[–] Suriname86 11 years ago

No, it wasn't spur-of-the moment. He was seducing her slowly over the course of the movie. It becomes more obvious with repeated viewings.

[–] littlesue-567-593153 11 years ago

Yes I would agree that he was seducing her, he played on the fact that he had noticed that she probably fancied him and took advantage of it.

[–] maria-virokhovsky 11 years ago

Well, I disagree :). I thought he was fathering her, not seducing, also after multiple viewings. If it was so easy, the movie wouldn't be so heartbreaking. What's heartbreaking is that all these people were given a chance for a better life (the relationship with his ex-family was over, and he seemed to really enjoy his life in his new family). And because these two felt attraction to each other, all got messed up. Very sad.

[–] littlesue-567-593153 11 years ago

I would say his relationship with his ex family were far from over!! he was enjoying the 'new family' because he was getting his oats with the MOther who he had picked up as an easy lay! I would say he probably was a serial adulterer who had done this before. As if he would have left that nice house and family for her. I think you are viewing the film through 'rose tinted spec's', he was literally a 'dirty old man' who took the chance with an underage girl and luckily got a way with it!

[–] Luna_Crow711 11 years ago

I have to agree completely with littlesue here. If it had been definitely over with his ex family, then he wouldn't have freaked out so much when Mia stood before his door the next day, making sure she was removed from his wife's eyesight. I think this wasn't the first time he cheated on her. Maybe he's a sex addict, maybe he's polyamorous, maybe he's a sick sick man, who knows? But the impression I got was that he was a serial adulterer.

The scene where Mia views the new footage of him filming his daughter singing with and his wife looking happy, this was evidence for me that he was living a double life. His wife had no idea and he hoped to keep it that way. He probably wasn't used to the sins of his second life standing infront of his door.

Ben: "Because destiny, John, is a fickle bitch."

[–] maria-virokhovsky 11 years ago

Well, the phone conversation that Mia overheard suggested that the old relationship was over. When he met Mia's mom, he was living with his mother, at that point. But of course, after the thing with Mia, he had to go back, and he chose to go back not to his mom (who he said has kicked him out), but rather reconcile with his ex. So at that point, when he went back and was trying to make it up to his ex wife, clearly, seeing Mia was no good, don't you think?

[–] littlesue-567-593153 11 years ago

Lol! do you believe everything a bloke says?? he obviously told the mother that he was living with his Mom! I doubt he even was, he had probably had a row with his wife, gone out with his mates on the piss and ended up with the Mother for the night and played along from there, he probably told his wife he had been sleeping on his mates couch or working nights.

[–] maria-virokhovsky 11 years ago

We can agree to disagree :). I believe to Fassy... :)

[–] jozielee 11 years ago

Their outting to the pond. Mia is in the reststop's bathroom. She overhears him talking to someone on his cellphone. Doesn't he say "it's taken longer than I thought." I assume he's supposed to be traveling for work.

[–] maria-virokhovsky 11 years ago

Maybe he was called on to perform some father's duties. You can't know.

[–] littlesue-567-593153 11 years ago

I'd say he was a charmed liar to the wife. Also at the end of the film when he is unloading the shopping and talking to the wife and daughter there is no 'funny atmosphere' you would suposedly get if he had left and come back. He was a Contract Security Man for Wickes D.I.Y. He would have probably covered other Stores around the area so easily had excuses to stay away from home and play around.

[–] Suriname86 11 years ago

I agree; he and his family seemed very at ease. He was clearly getting one over on his wife;

[–] Clemencedane 11 years ago

He was lying about living with his mother and her kicking him out. It was his wife who kicked him out, so he spent a few days screwing around with Mia's Mom and then Mia and then went crawling back to his wife.

I agree with everyone who says he was grooming Mia from the start. There were lots of little calculated moves he made to make an emotional connection to her.

[–] the_spiral 10 years ago

Agreed. Nothing in the film suggested he was even serious about the mother, let alone wanting to join their family. The relationship with the mother was purely sexual, he was nice enough to the kids but ended up taking advantage of the older daughter because he was at heart a sleazy opportunist. There was no question he'd go back to his family as if nothing ever happened, and probably cheat again in the future if he got the chance.

[–] Suriname86 11 years ago

I think you're totally misreading the plot and characterization. Connor had zero genuine interest in this family other than to play around with mom and flirt with the daughter. There was no "chance at a better life"; he was using them. THIS is why women continually get screwed over; they give men the benefit of the doubt even when they've made their intentions clear.

[–] earthlynn 11 years ago

Sad but true. And I've met men like Connor, you want so much to believe them, because they seem so genuine, kind, and full of compliments.

[–] Suriname86 11 years ago

I think that's the point of this film. With this type of character you usually get a shady looking/acting guy but, this is what makes this movie kind of amazing. It's so true to life and Connor is a master-manipulator to the point that once his true intentions become apparent, people are still in doubt.

[–] scottieweiss 11 years ago

It's so true to life and Connor is a master-manipulator to the point that once his true intentions become apparent, people are still in doubt.

Suri: I don't understand how anyone can be in denial about what a sleaze he is but yes, seasoned con-people appear able to affect others in a way similar to brainwashing.