This guest post was provided by Kira Browdy who is a freelance writer. Kira likes to write about the latest movies and share them with people addicted to movies.
David Mackenzie, famous British director, known for works as Young Adam and Hallam Foe, is proud to present his latest prison drama Starred Up. This movie is already been named as the best drama film over the past few years in the British cinema industry. In his new movie, David shows a life behind bars by telling the story and sharing the experience of one dangerous and troubled teenage prisoner. It is Mackenzie’s 9th movie and most probably the best.
Jack O’Connell, who is famous for his role in Skins, plays a young and very agressive Eric Love, a 19 years old offender. He has been transferred to the adult prison in London due to his angry and violent behavior. In prison language this move is known as starred up. Eric doesn’t know yet that he will soon meet his father Neville, played by Ben Mendelsohn, who is also jailed in the same prison and even in the same section. Eric has never seen his father and who knows what is going to happen when these 2 criminals will get to know each other.
For the first time in his life Neville starts to feel worry and love for his son, so from now on he will be looking out for him. Eric really needs someone to take care of him. All his life he was alone, abandoned, abused, fighting back and trying to stay alive. And at his young age he has passed through a lot. All the rage, anger and grudge are burning inside.
A volunteer therapist Oliver, played by Rupert Friend, gets interested in Eric and sees that this young boy could become another person; he just needs help and someone to talk to. Oliver is very inspired by the work he is doing in prison, so he signs Eric up to attend therapeutic discussion group, created for the most troubled inmates. The therapy helps Eric to deal with his monsters, he becomes less nervous, even starts to think that he is capable to change his life in a better way, but there are still many threats and bad people around, ready to stab a knife in each others back.
This movie tells several different stories at the same time, it shows how hard life is behind bars and it’s better never to get into the place like that. It opens the inner world of inmates, showing their worries and desire for a second chance. The relationship between long ago lost father and his miserable son takes a big place and shows it from a different view. Brutal and nerve-wrecking drama about broken lives and empty souls, peppered with an excellent screenplay, actors and production team.