Review: Starred Up
-----------------------------
Part Bronson, part Hunger, UK prison drama Starred Up is one that will stick with you and be talked about in the pantheon of prison flicks going forward.
Rising star Jack O’Connell plays 19-year-old Eric Love, a violent, hot-tempered troublemaker who does his problem solving with his fists. The film’s title refers to a young persons early transfer into an adult prison due to their behavior. It’s clear from the start that our main character has a few screws loose. Inside, things get a bit more complicated as his estranged father, Neville (Ben Mendelsohn), is in the same prison, battling his own issues, now having to deal with his son.
Starred Up is a gritty, hard to swallow depiction of the prison dynamic. While it focuses on Eric, his unstable personality and his path toward mental maturity, it also hones in on a not-so-normal father and son relationship what doesn’t have a choice but start to mend.
It’s hard to even describe this film without first picking your jaw up off the floor while watching O’Connell shine. While many may not know about him yet, they will by the end of the year as he stars in Unbroken which should be a big contender come Oscar season. But Starred Up is a film I won’t soon forget specifically because of his performance. O’Connell resembles Tom Hardy in Bronson, sans the muscles and mustache, so much. From the wild demeanor to the off the wall fight scenes, he’s fearless yet so vulnerable. His skinny frame gives off an impression of weakness and youth, but his psychotic aggression makes him utterly dangerous.
His performance contains a level of subtleness that draws in the viewer, forcing us to pay attention to every expression. Eric Love is a broken young man, mentally and emotionally.
As good as O’Connell is here, it wouldn’t be as powerful without the help of a fantastic supporting cast. Rupert Friend plays Oliver, the resident counselor of the prison who leads (loosely put) therapy sessions. Much like his role on Showtime’s Homeland, he’s strong, convincing, and genuinely cares about the growth Love can show. Ben Mendelsohn can do no wrong on the big screen. He continues to churn out quality role, one after the other. As a well-respected inmate, Neville commands his block. Once his son enters the prison, he continues his “tough love” mannerism, wanting the best for his son. He pleads for Oliver to help Eric right the wrongs that have left him in a steel cage. Mendelsohn’s tough exterior is only masked by the age prison puts on a man. His loyalty and compassion for his son’s well being is what brings the film together and adds multiple layers to what could be viewed as a simple film about incarceration.
What director David Mackenzie does best in this picture is encapsulate the sociology behind prisoners, guards, and coexisting in a dehumanized environment. The sense of chaos in the prison from all the violence, while a bit disorganized, feels real thanks to writer Jonathan Asser’s real life experience in the system.
While some (American) viewers may complain that they can’t understand a lot of the dialogue in Mackenzie’s film, rest assured this was an artistic vision that really doesn’t rely on dialogue as much as it does the aura of O’Connell and the prison dynamic.
One of the best qualities of this film is that it never loses sight of its premise. It never force-feeds the audience a sappy relationship, just like it never compromises the hardships of making it to the next day in prison. As we watch Eric’s rage boil into scuffles with authority, and thus simmer into controlled anger, the idea of redemption, while never at the forefront, ends up feeling like a possibility.
Starred Up is a true survival tale and the epitome of a breakout performance from O’Connell. This is the film we’ll look back on and point to in a few decades that put this English thesp on the map. Good luck containing this guy, he’s got superstar written all over him.
Rating: B+