Director: David Mackenzie
Stars: Jack O’Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend
Eric (O’Connell) has been transferred from a young offender’s facility because he’s disruptive and violent. When he gets to the new prison he’s initially optimistic because his father (Mendelsohn) is jailed there. However, he soon realizes that there are forces working against him, and when he’s unable to control his anger he gets into a lot of trouble. When he gets invited to a support group it begins to work and he develops some sense of rationality, although his father becomes jealous. As the leader of the group tries to fight against the corrupt system Eric is torn between his new friends and his father, all while anger boils within and it’s just a matter of time before it erupts again.
There have been a lot of movies set in prisons but mostly these focus on prisons in America. I can’t remember many that take a serious look at the British prison system, aside from Porridge, and that’s hardly accurate. I actually felt somewhat ashamed given that it’s an area of my country that I know nothing about. I’m not really aware of the treatment of prisoners or the nature of the institutions. The picture that Starred Up paints is not a pretty one. Though Eric is an angry young man, and we really have no need to sympathise with him since he is a criminal, I ended up wanting him to be helped and become rehabilitated.
Different elements are at play. There’s the father/son dynamic which is interesting. At first Eric looks to his father for guidance and respect, but quickly understands that actually his father isn’t king, and there are other role models he could look to. Neville sees his son slipping away, but he has no idea how to be a father since he’s been in prison for most of Eric’s life. The support group provides some interesting dynamics between the prisoners, and does offer some commentary on the different prison systems of the world. And there’s a struggle between the volunteer who runs the support group and the administration of the prison.
It acts as a severe indictment of the prison system as the administrators don’t actually seem to be wanting to help the prisoners progress or evolve. It’s a bleak portrait really, even though there are moments of hope when Eric connects with his fellow inmates. It’s brutal at times, and the language can be shocking. I liked the use of prison slang early on to alienate the viewer. It’s a film that covers an area that hasn’t been explored that much, and it’s one that will perhaps open your eyes to what goes on behind closed doors.
Aside from the social commentary it is a good film as well. As I said, I liked the dynamics between the characters. The film moved at a good pace and tension was rife throughout. I was enthralled for most of it and the sense of ever-present danger pervaded every scene. That is Starred Up, a very good film.
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