Starred Up 2013 Review

Starred Up 2013 Review

From the first shot, "Starred Up" is full of tension that only gets stronger as the characters get to know each other. The opening shot is shaky, reflecting both movement and the disorientation that comes with change. And the eyes of Jack O’Connell, a future star if ever I’ve seen one, are tight and coiled, first looking down to gather his thoughts and then glaring up at the unknown future of his destination. We see this young man go through the steps of moving from a place for children to a place for adults, and it ends with him putting his hands on his head and face. From there, in a new cell that seems like it will be his home for a long time, he does push-ups, makes a shiv, and paces like an animal in a cage—all before he says a single word. Director David Mackenzie has faith in his actor, and O'Connell's body language shows more of his performance than most actors do with the whole script. Even though he doesn't say anything for almost ten minutes (and when he does, it's so heavily accented and mumbled that I'm not sure I could tell you what he says), we already know Eric through the way he looks, how he moves, and other things that most movies ignore in favor of too much dialogue and fake expressions of emotion. "Starred Up" is not an average film.

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