Movies set in prisons come in all shapes and sizes - from the comedy hijinks of Stir Crazy to the elegantly brutal realism of Un Prophete, the prison setting functions as a microcosm for the human experience, particularly our capacity for violence and deception. Starred Up, the low budget British drama starring Jack O'Connell as a young offender Eric Love who is moved up to an adult prison, sits firmly in the tradition of uncompromising realism. Based on the experiences as a voluntary therapist at Wandsworth prison and directed by David MacKenzie, Starred Up throws the audience into the lives of the incarcerated with its insistent handheld photography and raw, naturalistic dialogue. Fine performances from Ben Mendelsohn as Eric's con father and Rupert Friend as the counselor trying to make a difference in a system more concerned with punishment than rehabilitation lift the film above what could have been standard fair in lesser hands, but it's O'Connell who steals the show. Having moved from TV series Skins to a starring role in Angelina Jolie's latest directorial effort, he's clearly a rising star worth watching.
