Review #779: 'Starred Up' (2013)

Us Brits' strange obsession with alpha-male's and the violent criminal underworld has led the film industry to churn out endless gangster and prison movies, with each DVD cover adorned with some meaty Z-list actor sticking his fingers up or trying to look intimidating. Starred Up, based on writer Jonathan Asser's experiences working as a prison counsellor, has Jack O'Connell's shirtless young offender staring menacingly out on it's poster, and you would be forgiven to assume this was yet another movie destined for the bargain bin. But you would be wrong, as Starred Up is a refreshing pitbull of a movie.

Eric Love (O'Connell) is transferred, or 'starred up', two years early to adult prison from a young offenders institution. It doesn't take long for him to become involved in a fight with another prisoner, and he is thrown in solitary as a result. In this world of macho men, he finds a surrogate father in therapist Oliver (Rupert Friend), a well-educated type who 'needs' to help these prisoners as a way of lending meaning to his own life. But Eric's biological father, Neville (Ben Mendelsohn), is locked up there with him, and feels a different approach is needed to conquer this animalistic young man. Eric, however, has his own plans, which is to take on everybody who stands in his way.

What is so fascinating about Starred Up is its attention to detail. Seconds after being locked into his cell, Eric sets about defending himself by creating a makeshift shank out of a toothbrush and a shaving razor, designed not to stab, but to slice (we see it's full effect later in the film). This is a world in which you have to punch, kick and head-butt to survive, and one in which Eric is clearly (and tragically) familiar with. But it's not only the violent nature and general feeling of unease that makes the film so thrilling, it's the father-son dynamic between Eric, Neville and Oliver, played out without a shred of sentimentality or a morality message. They both clearly care for Eric, but Neville is psychopath and Oliver finds his liberal approach frequently obstructed by the brutality of the deputy governor (Sam Spruell).

Towards the end, it struggles by thinking that the film needs to have a conventional climax. It moves over into dramatic thriller territory, and slightly betrays its roots in realism. Spruell's character throughout is rather one-note - a suited, arrogant political climber whose self-image always comes ahead of the needs of his inmates. Such clichés are not called for, but doesn't do much damage to the overall gut-punch of the film. O'Connell is a star in the making, handsome enough to be a superstar someday, yet talented and charismatic enough to actually deserve it. His performance here is outstanding, as are the ever-reliable Mendelsohn and a sensitive Friend. One of the most pleasant surprises of the year, injecting life into a tired genre.


Directed by: David Mackenzie
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend, Sam Spruell
Country: UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie