STARRED UP

“A brutal, immersive prison survival story with a breakout performance by British actor Jack O’Connell.” - Empire Verdict

I saw ‘Starred Up’... It’s one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. 

Directed by David Mackenzie, starring Jack O’Connell (Skins, Harry Brown, 300: Rise of an Emprie), and Ben Mendelsohn (Killing Them Softly, A Place Beyond the Pines, Animal Kingdom). I’m a fan of both these actors, more Ben Mendelsohn because I’ve seen him more over the last couple of years, but when I was a bit younger I don’t remember a girl in school who didn’t fancy Jack O’Connell for his character ‘Cook’ in the third series of ‘Skins’ and any teenager boy living in kent who didn’t wanna be him. 

‘Starred Up’ is about a young offender who is so dangerous, as well as clever (prison clever). That he is serving his time in a normal high risk/security prison. However the slight twist to this film that makes it so much more interesting than your average (if there are any) prison films, is that his dad is also serving life in the same wing as him. 

Mis’ en scene is pretty accurate, as Mackenzie shot the whole thing in an old prison (no longer in use any more). I wouldn’t know anything in terms of uniforms and procedures, because I have never been to prison but it seemed more realistic than other films such as The Escapist, 2008, even the old Escape From Alcatraz, 1979 film seemed a bit Hollywoody compared to this film. This film felt gritty, raw, and British. Violence far from glamourised, constant tension throughout, and curve balls in every scene. I felt there which is how I want to feel watching a film. Especially in the cinema with no interruption or digetic outside noises from the world to distract, or frustrate me. 

There were certain points I wasn’t to keen about, although the film felt very realistic. There was also the feeling that some of the stuff in the film wouldn’t have been able to happen. I don’t want to give away too much so I won’t talk about it in detail, I’ll talk about little things, such as actions that didn’t suit the main characters role (O’Connell’s character) Eric. For instance the he slashed a man’s face with a razor and later on in the film makes friends a little bit too easily maybe and sometimes can be a bit too good natured for someone who is capable of doing that. There were also times when I felt that they had nicked a few things from Tom Hardy in Bronson, 2008 (a great film). Little things like body language, grunts and sighs when talking to people, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I just thought maybe they could have been more original, but then maybe it’s just me who thinks this and no one else, after all it was only a couple of times in the film I thought this. 

Apart from this, I don’t really have much else to say without giving too much away which I don’t want to do with this film. To sum it up, definitely worth watching try and catch it in the cinema if you get a chance. 

Empire Verdit - empireonline.com, Damon Wise, 2014
Starred Up Advert - Uploaded by Fresh Movie Trailers HD, January 2014