Starred Up

For a film that seemed to come out of nowhere, with a limited advertisement campaign and small budget, Starred Up has proved to be one of the more ballsy pictures released in some time - and with a UK release date sandwiched between two major blockbuster sequels, it had to do something to stand out from the crowd.

The main attribute of the film is its acting, most notably central character Jack O'Connell; a career-best performance from our lead protagonist serves as the driving force of the film, immersing the audience so much in the drama of it all that we can't believe we're feeling sorry for the prick we thought we knew in the opening stages.

However we all know that good acting doesn't necessarily constitute a good film; but placing such talent in the hands of David Mackenzie and providing a gripping (albeit unoriginal) story line is a damn good combination.

Despite the many positives, where this film fails is in the variety of on-screen shenanigans. Although it does slowly progress, the day-to-day life on the inside seems repetitive and predictable, particularly when the overall message is all too familiar and practically clichéd.

All in all however, Starred Up is one of the best prison dramas in a long time, and probably the best British film this year. Not for the faint-hearted, this superbly acted drama will scare you into following the law to the strictest command.

don't know who made this film... just watched it last night...Was far better than i expected... No holds barred. Research has clearly been done well. acting was very good by all, especially the kid. surprised i haven't seen these people before. the violence depicted is brutal but accurate as an everyday occurrence in uk jails. even the methods used in applying that violence and the slang language are all about right. The only other film i can compare it to is "Bronson".. as thats the only other prison film i have seen recently. i would say bronson portrays dramatisation and artistic licence,, also i didn't find bronson to be consistent with the storyline....starred up is none of those,,,,the storyline is extremely consistent.. the only gripe i have with this film is that several obvious questions were left unanswered at the end. doesn't spoil the film though

Brutal, unflinching & downright intense, Starred Up tells the story of a young convict who's transferred to adult prison due to his extremely violent behaviour where he meets his father after a long time. The plot follows the harshness of imprisoned life and covers his journey as his father attempts to get him to settle down so that he can go through therapy.

Directed by David Mackenzie, Starred Up takes a no-holds-barred approach to brings its violent tale to life and retains its viciousness throughout its runtime. The script keeps the focus on its lead character who is unable to keep his rage in control and through him, the plot captures not only the menacing life behind bars but the devastating effects of violent upbringing as well.

Production design team manages to recreate the grim atmosphere of prison, Camera-work is carried out in a controlled manner although it misses out on encapsulating the picture with a claustrophobic ambiance, Editing is brilliant for it never cuts up too quick and effectively sustains the build-up tension, Music is virtually absent, yet the strongest aspect of Starred Up is its performances.

The cast comprises of Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn & Rupert Friend, with all of them chipping in with strong work. O'Connell is an absolute revelation for the way he expresses his stuffed-up emotions & sudden burst of anger is utterly convincing, Plus, he effortlessly makes us believe that his character is be a byproduct of a childhood filled with trauma & abuse, and that he's not a bad person per se.

On an overall scale, Starred Up is a highly engaging, relentlessly aggressive & unforgiving British prison drama that benefits from Mackenzie's terrific direction & O'Connell's winning performance, offers an interesting take on father-son dynamics set in a brutal environment, and has much to say about people guarding the prison as it ends up saying about the prisoners behind bars. A raw, evocative & hard-hitting flick, Starred Up comes thoroughly recommended.

Jack O'Connell is brilliant as our uncompromising lead. The writing is terrific and the acting from all involved is great.

The unsociable and brutal nineteen year old Eric Love (Jack O'Connell) is transferred from an young offender institution to an adult prison because of his violence. On the arrival, the voluntary therapist Oliver Baumer (Rupert Friend) invites Eric to participate in his group of therapy. However Eric meets his missing father Neville Love (Ben Mendelsohn) that is the henchman of the prison leader Dennis Spencer (Peter Ferdinando). Neville tries to control Eric and affects his participation in the therapy. Meanwhile the Deputy Governor Hayes (Sam Spruell) does not believe in Baumer's treatment and gives one chance only to Eric to improve his behavior.

The title "Starred Up", for people not native in English like me, describes the early transfer of a criminal from a young offender institution to an adult prison. The story is written by Jonathan Asser and is based on his experiences working as voluntary therapist at the largest adult prison in the UK in South West London in England. The plot follows the teenager Eric Love and is cruel and realistic, and may be consider a sociological study. The direction and performances are impressive, giving the sensation of a documentary and with no corny redemption. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Encarcerados" ("Imprisoned")