Oi!
HE SCREAMS
"Starred up" means you're a leader.
There were a few factors that I needed to certify before I was
going to believe in the project.
And that was what David MacKenzie, the director,
what his incentives were and intentions were.
It was beneficial to know that Jonathan Asser was writing
from first-hand experience.
And then I guess the other factor was that it was very important
to know that we wasn't going to glamorise
and at least shoot the film and story with the right intentions.
I'm always more persuaded by a project when they're in, like,
a realistic realm.
The film was trying to explore a kind of authenticity.
The reality of filming in that location,
which was a real prison, a former prison...
The only thing that was sort of not there, you know,
was some of the furniture.
It meant we were always in this kind of environment,
which was the environment of the movie.
So anything we could do to help that come alive
was keeping feeling that little bit more documentary.
We were shooting sequentially and we were hand-held.
David had the intention to catch up with the action,
as opposed to rehearsing something and then display it for a camera.
So that's why he used the free-range while he was shooting.
And that also meant the acting could be more real.
They weren't hitting marks.
And I love the idea of shooting in sequence, which we did.
It was the first time I'd ever done it.
Obviously, that's easier in a single location, which this film was.
But if there is any way I can try
and find ways of shooting in sequence again,
I'll definitely take it,
because it means you're all going on the journey together.
The process becomes alive and a voyage of discovery.
Over here.
Face the wall.
In you go.
It was an incredibly easy casting process for me with Jack
because I saw a tape of him in amongst the whole bunch of...
the cream of the crop of young British talent,
many of whom are also great.
But he stood out to me, and I met him and we engaged and I...
You know, I knew he had an understanding of the character
and he really related to him and I knew he would throw himself at it.
And...he sure did.
And I think is a great performance and a passionate performance
and a hell of a lot of dedication and he just went, went, went.
He was a dog with a bone.
What I initially thought Starred Up would allow me to do
would be to be able to epitomise, you know, a character
that isn't, you know, necessarily on the right side of the law.
And also explain him.
Someone who in the eyes of the law is a guilty individual.
I really welcome the opportunity to lead a film in that setting
and have total control over this... this...
who is described in the film as a leader.
So I wanted to add these layers to him.
And I thought from reading the script initially that the film would
give me enough opportunity to do that.
I'm prepared to offer you a place back on the wing.
And a special kind of therapy with Mr Brownlow
because you cooperated upstairs.
But one more incident of any kind that comes to my attention
and you'll be straight back down here.
Just one problem.
You're going to tell me what that is.
Say this therapy goes well and it changes my life
and I rehabilitate, and then you lay it on for the next geezer
and it works for him, and the next, and everything's sweet, yeah?
Crime rate starts to come down, the police have got less people to nick,
courts have less people to convict.
Pretty soon you're out of a job.
Do you mind?
Jack was very keen not to really read ahead, you know,
just to be in the scene. And I'm very much...
You know, I like to consider the script to be
a set of ingredients and we cook the scene up and it becomes
something different than the bit of paper that it started off as.
And so I'm very happy
when people go into the scene just worrying about the scene
and not really worrying about what else is going on in their
back and forward stories, you know.
Once you know your character well enough, it is
a total luxury to be in this convincing setting, be able to shoot
all angles of it as well - because that plays a huge part, you know.
With a character like Eric I had to adopt a walk,
I had to adopt a certain state of mind, I guess even a stare -
the way he'd look at people and stuff.
And for that to feel authentic and not forced,
that had to feel like a custom of my own.
I had to feel familiar enough and I had to believe myself
while I was doing it.
To the point where it's subconscious.
So the physical stuff as well comes into play, in the sense that
you know, he might be more flippant with violence than I am, certainly.
So I mean that...that I did have to teach myself a little, you know.
What it is to be that person in that environment.
And that kind of stuff helps as well, you know, when you do the research
and you really begin to understand the setting and the mentality.
I mean, it definitely differs from more conventional
styles of working that I've had to familiarise myself with.
I definitely prefer this one, if you wanted me to choose.
Stay with it.
Stay with it. That's it.
Stay with it.
Breathe with it.
You done well.
That was good.
Straight.
Yeah, that was all right.
He's smiling. He knows he done well. Go on!
Anger management control!
I've never made a genre film.
This is my eighth film and it's my first genre film.
And it inescapably a genre movie. Which is kind of great, but it...
even in its rawest form -
and Jonathan and I worked on it together for two years - there was
this idea, and we evolved it, but this very strong idea of a...
of one or two relationships that form within the course of this
journey in this very hostile environment being quite...
emotional and quite connected and...
compassionate and human and...
And that felt really exciting to me,
to have something that you could play totally straight
but somehow or other smuggle in some real emotions and real heart.
I think it's very sensitively handled as well. Free of exposition.
We just...
After a while of knowing this kid, we enter hearing about his story.
And there were certain scenes that ended up being totally different to
what they were on paper. Like... one example towards the end...
Basically, it's a moment between him
and his dad and I just felt compelled to burst into tears.
I just started... I mean...
It might make sense when you're watching it, and I'm
doing my best to tiptoe around it so I don't spoil anything, but, yeah.
There was one point where Ben's performance broke me,
and that wasn't scripted and no-one discussed beforehand and...
We just rolled with it and it ended up becoming a feature of the film.
And that's what appealed to me when I first read the script,
is that what I had on page was this 19-year-old adult
who is in this environment where on a daily basis he has to survive.
Yes...
Weapons down. Stand against the back wall.
Let's go in.
NO!
HE YELLS
It's almost like a horror movie, because you know this is
an environment where things are going to...
The bogeyman's going to do something. You know what I mean?
And so you have this great tension and the tension...
and then the sort of... I guess the kinetics...
of the violence, you know, when it comes to the time to do it.
And that feels very...
It's a horrible thing to say but it feels very cinematic.