Photo credit: Alex Fountain
The British film industry has been exponentially growing over the past decade. Any fan or critic worth their salt would be hard pressed to argue with the consistent quality of our small, politically-divided countries media output of late. From quirky, awkward comedies, to hard-hitting political dramas, it appears that the days of quietly ignoring embarrassing direct-to-video releases have long passed.
Of course, everyone plays to their strengths, and there are arguably few genres that British filmmakers excel further in than crime dramas. It could be the lack of Hollywood’s innate (and often naive) optimism, or possibly just our natural cynicism and self-imposed affliction. Regardless, it has undoubtedly resulted in some of the greatest cinematic achievements of the past twenty years. This trend definitely isn’t slowing down anytime soon and looks set to produce even more talent over the next few years.
THN were fortunate enough to visit the set of the upcoming crime thriller, Villain, from Philip Barantini. The story follows the harrowing journey of Eddie Franks, a former criminal reluctantly drawn back into a life of crime after his release from prison. George Russo, the film’s co-writer and supporting star, gave some hints at the inspiration behind the project, which paints an interesting picture of the direction its heading in:
I was heavily inspired by films of the 1970’s. Particularly a film called Straight time, starring dustin hoffman and harry dean stanton, which was a really underground film. But, i generally tend to lean towards social realist, kitchen-sink drama.
While Barantini is making his directorial debut with the production, he’s certainly no stranger to the world of gritty, uncompromising dramas. The former Band Of Brothers star began his career as a performer and has gone on to score high-profile roles in Ned Kelly (opposite the legendary Heath Ledger), Channel 4’s Humans, and most recently the acclaimed Chernobyl from HBO. Now, the versatile artist is looking to stretch his muscles in a different direction.
Photo credit: Alex Fountain
Despite being the man behind the camera this time around, Barantini echoed the generally relaxed atmosphere of the set. The surprisingly calm and non-chaotic day was a testament to the unified vision of the cast and crew. This is a rarity when it comes to large productions, but the lower budget and close personal relationships between the crew are also largely responsible. Barantini isn’t letting his profound luck as a first-time director go to his head though, and it sounds like we shouldn’t be expecting a big move to Hollywood just yet:
never say never. BUT, it would have to be the right project. it would be great to have a budget, but i wouldn’t know what to do with a $200 million dollar budget for THE NEXT avengers film!
One benefit of a smaller budget is, of course, the creative freedom to build a project from the ground upwards with minimal interference. Villain has been referred to as a grounded and emotional character piece by its cast. Leading man Craig Fairbrass could barely contain his excitement and enthusiasm for the script. Fairbrass made his name as an intimidating figure, or more appropriately ‘hard man’, in a range of British television dramas throughout the nineties. Perhaps most famously, he appeared opposite the Italian Stallion himself in Cliffhanger. In recent years, however, the London-born star has been quietly building up his big screen filmography in a range of gangster films from The Bank Job, to the popular Rise of the Footsoldier series.
Photo credit: Alex Fountain
Villain marks an interesting point in Fairbrass’ long and impressive career, as it continues his move towards more artistic and experimental endeavors. This is a trajectory that began with Gerard Johnson’s upcoming Muscle, which seems to have him a taste for something fresh:
“It’s an incredible film and Gerard is such an incredible guy. we had a lot of really deep conversations about business and the industry. It’s about trying to find a quality product and something different,” he said.
In that respect, Fairbrass was keen to point out that this film is not a ‘gangster’ narrative. In keeping with this new direction, and a renewed passion for originality in his work, Fairbrass was extremely genuine, honest and upfront:
“I told them that if we do this, it has to fresh, it has to be different, and it has to be real. the violence has to be raw and the emotions have to be strong.”
The actor continued, “It’s a cracking script! It ticked all the boxes for everything you want to do as an actor. The emotional side of things, the turmoil, the reality. Its got everything!”
It’s nice to be approached to do some quality. Its more about the acting than the PHYSICALITY, which is refreshing.
In contrast to Fairbrass, the film also contains quite a bit of fresh talent looking into their early days of the industry from a strangely reversed perspective. One such example is young actress Izuka Hoyle, described by producer Bart Ruspoli as ‘the next big thing’. Another is the stunning Eloise Lovell Anderson, a talented, burgeoning star. After aspiring to be an actress since childhood, she finally received her big break in FX’s 2015 historical drama, The Bastard Executioner. It was there that Anderson began her ascent after sharing a connection with ‘fellow Essex person’ Stephen Moyer (True Blood). Details are scarce on her ‘Villain’ character, but Anderson praised her experience working on the film:
It’s been a dream! EVERYONE’S in the zone. its the perfect environment to work in.
“But, it’s the characters that drew me in. I like the fact that the violence ISN’T there for the sake of violence, and it’s done in a very STYLISTIC way,” Anderson continued.
Villain promises to offer something new to audiences, both in terms of the crime genre and also raw, gritty, character-driven film making. With such a wonderfully energetic cast and crew, the film’s title is hilariously ironic. But, it’s easy to share their enthusiasm for the finished product, and based on what we’ve seen so far, this could be something truly special.
Look out for Villain when it’s released in 2020.
