FF: Why are all of your characters from London?
NL: It’s just because I know the area, it’s not because I’m biased towards London, but I think you ultimately make films about what you know, so there’d be no real reason to make a film about someone from Cardiff.
FF: You’ve worked with Danny Dyer on every film you’ve done before this, why?
NL: Well, there’s many reasons why I work with Danny, primarily because the films we’ve made, although they are hated by some people, they’re incredibly popular with a big demographic.
I think that in England it’s pretty hard making films and if you can get a following going on, it’s not something you just want to chuck away, and so we’ve worked together a lot.
Apart from that I think he’s a very good actor. He’s particularly good at comedy, ironically, is Danny and he’s incredibly easy to work with because he’s not got any ego and he’s a laugh and just gets on with it.
He doesn’t act like an actor, if you know what I mean. That always attracted me to him and he was always motivated not by money, but Danny was always motivated by wanting to make a film.
The reason with I didn’t work with him in the firm is that there was no way that I could make another film about football culture with Danny in it, having done The Business and The Football Factory with him.
FF: You’ve used football violence in two films, any real reason for that?
NL: I think The Football Factory really centres around the football whereas I think The Firm uses it much more as a backdrop. I’ve got no real particular reason for making films about football culture, it just happens.
I mean, The Football Factory was a book and I liked the book and wanted to make a film of it and The Firm, well buying the rights to the original film was a vehicle in way for making people recognise the title.
The film itself, well out of 90 minutes it probably has around seven minutes of football violence in it.
Well, ultimately, my films hit the same ceiling at the moment, so I am going to start branching out now and The Sweeney was going to be part of that, because it’s a much bigger budget, it’s more of an action film.
So I’m either going to make The Sweeney or another film that I’m writing at the moment and that’s a CGI driven action film.
The way I see it is that I’ve been basically learning my craft for the last few years. I’ve only been directing films for nine years, it’s not like I’ve been doing it all my life and now I’ve now got the confidence to move on and whatever I do next will be radically different.
FF: Which is harder, writing or directing?
NL: Well, the answer to that question is that if you haven’t written a good script you’ve got nothing to direct, but also, the thing about directing is that it’s more exposure directing a film, it’s much more stress.
I’m writing this new one now and it’s great, there’s no stress you’re just writing it on your own, having good time and you can let your imagination run wild when you write a film. So the writing is far easier than the directing.
FF: Would you ever direct someone else’s script?
NL: Yes, but because I’ve got a reputation for directing my own scripts, I don’t get sent that much stuff.
I used to a couple of years ago, but once you get known for one thing, people don’t seem to bother. I do get sent stuff, but most of it is stuff I’ve basically already done, people tend to do that don’t they?
FF: If they came knocking, would you go to Hollywood?
NL: It’s the flip of a coin really. I’ve been offered Hollywood stuff before which has been dreadful and
I’ve said no before I’ve even had a single meeting with them.
But, equally, Guy Ritchie’s just made a really good studio film and he’s had a great time doing it, so it’s not like it’s an evil place.
FF: For those unfamiliar with your work....
NL: Don’t bother.
FF: ...how to define The Firm and all your other films apart from all the other Football hooligan films that have popped up?
NL: Well ultimately, I try to make films with a heart and I think that comes across. I think that the main difference you see when you see an imitator is that they’re all the same sort of scenes, they’ve all done the same sort of things, but they just don’t have a soul.
Because, ultimately I’m actually more interested in the relationships and the characters more than the football violence, that comes across in a film like The Firm.
That’s the difference, you can actually feel for the characters rather than just sit there going ‘I’m watching endless punch-ups and people getting beaten up in slow-motion, but what the f*** is it’
The Firm is out on DVD and Blu-Ray from February 1st.
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith
Tagged in Nick Love