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Compiled by: Jack Foley
Q. Tell us in your own words the inspiration for this
movie?
A. Well I had an experience with a firm back home in
Germany and even though I was very young I started documenting
it, taking pictures, and actually having a very extensive diary
about it. I felt it was the one time in my life where I was most
affected by people around me. I just could never forget what these
guys were about and how complex they were. When as a film-maker
you get a chance to do a feature and do a personal story, you
have to ask yourself what is it that you want to really talk about.
And what is the world that you know that maybe you could shed
some light on? And so I chose this story and put it together and
got this amazing cast. I feel now that I have achieved my vision.
Q. Do you want to comment on how the actors prepared,
and how you were able to provide access to the right sort of people
to provide the right sort of background? What did Dougie Brimson
to it, for instance?
Lexi: When I first developed the story I only had my
own experience to draw on from Germany. While I truly believe
that hooligans all over Europe and South America are generally
involved for the same reasons, there is obviously a difference
in terms of singing and talking when you come to England. So what
do I know about that? Really nothing in terms of the cockney accent,
the songs or trying to tell an authentic story. So I needed to
bring somebody on that knew all about it. I met my co-writers
in a chat room, actually, when I was doing research for the script.
I was on this hooligans chatroom trying to get some answers to
something and they were just abusing me. My God. They were convinced
that I was a cop. Every curse word that you can possibly see in
black and white I was called. And finally he found me and said
if you really are who you say you are, contact me on my website
and then we'll start talking. So that's how he got involved.
Then later on, during the production, I got involved a guy named
Cass Pennant, who's also written several books about it, and he
brought along some of his guys from the ICF. They were all reformed
and had it behind them but they certainly knew all about it. So
it was important to me that I wasn't going to make a joke out
of this. Even though it is a story, as a film it's important that
you have a certain arc and sometimes take poetic licence - I wasn't
about to make a documentary. But at the same time I didn't want
people in England to laugh about it, saying none of this is true,
you know? So I think we have a good mixture; that I was able to
tell a good story and keep people involved in it and at the same
time make it as authentic as possible.
These guys came in way before to actually do their research. Elijah
came in later, which we purposely decided to do because he was
supposed to be the fish out of water. Charlie was here two and
a half months before on his own money; we had no money to pay
him to do his research.
And Leo took him to his first football match. Also, Leo I don't
know if he remembers this, but he re-wrote a lot of the lines,
which was another useful thing. Here I was, on set, having a vision
but I didn't want them to say necessarily what was in the script.
I think Leo actually took a lot of lines and started re-writing
them and Charlie and Leo would together go over the script and
write down dialogue which turned out great. All the laughs that
I got from the film are all to their credit; none of this has
anything to do with me.
Q. The sub-plot seems to be basically that journalists
are scum. Where did that come from? Personal experience? And is
journalism something that maybe any of you aspire to one day?
Lexi: I know that one of the characters - I think it's
Leo's character - calls journalists 'scum'. But that wasn't really
what I was portraying in this film. What I know from my own research
and from talking to a lot of these gangs is that in the beginning
- and they're all out for a little bit of fame - they trusted
a lot of journalists and took them in. What happened is that a
lot of the people who infiltrated this environment had promised
not to expose their names and identity and basically that's not
what happened - a lot of these guys lost their jobs; because in
the end, their activities are incredibly illegal and they have
families and jobs, so they had to deal with the consequences.
Some of them even had to go to jail because of certain journalists
who did documentaries or newspaper articles. So I think anybody
who infiltrates them and breaks a promise, or exposes them, is
an enemy. But overall it wasn't that journalists were scum to
them.
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Q. How aware were West Ham
that you were making a movie about football violence when you
made it? Did they mind being associated?
A. I actually think that we actually threw this around
at the Tribeca Film Festival when we were promoting it there.
Animated young film-makers do not take no for an answer. I was
told no to shooting in a football stadium. I arrived and people
said you can only shoot in a rugby stadium. Now, I'm not someone
who takes no for an answer, so I just kept pushing and pushing
and I met with several clubs. West Ham was on the top of my list,
obviously, because I had written them into the script and I had
followed them for years.
They grilled me, they gave me the third degree, they were very
suspect, they certainly didn't make an easy choice of letting
me shoot there. But I told them about the film and I told them
what the fundamental message is at the end of the film, which
is, in my opinion, a very anti-violence message. And I offered
them to read the script; they ended up reading the ending of the
script.
I promised them that it would be the same ending, which it is.
They were really happy and really supportive.
What happened in between was after we got done shooting and we
went into the editing stuff, all they could see was not the finished
product but the shots that were out in the papers. Certain paparazzi
shots during the shooting of Elijah. Of course, I understand that
everyone has to write a great story and put the greatest picture
in the paper, which were usually very violent and bloody shots,
so I think there was a period of time when they were really concerned
about what the end product would be.
But this has all resolved itself by them coming to see the movie
and realising that I did keep my word. The film is exactly what
I pitched them the film would be and I think they are very happy
and very proud.
Q. They weren't concerned about West Ham being the subject?
Lexi: Certainly they were concerned. Like I said, they
didn't make that choice easily. I'm sure that they were surprised
at how graphic some of the scenes were but I don't think they
regret their choice. I pitched them at the very beginning that
it would be the first time the West Ham kit would be on the screens
everywhere all over the world. Americans only know the Manchester
United kit, that's all they know. Ask any American kid that plays
soccer whether they know any English teams, Manchester United,
they can't even name another team. So they make all of the money
in selling their stuff. So that's how I pitched it and I think
that's come true.
Q. Do you aim to be the Kathryn Bigelow of your generation?
Are you looking to stay hard or do you yearn for a romantic comedy?
Lexi: There will be no comedy in my future. And I doubt
there will be anything romantic in my future. I mean, in my professional
future! Kathryn Bigelow? I aim higher. I like her but she's not
working enough.
I'd like to try and break the glass cieling of the boys' club
right now. Much more trying to be the female version of Michael
Mann.
The reason I make films about this male world is because I grew
up in it - and it wasn't by choice. It was coincidental circumstances
of my life - having a big brother who had to take me around everywhere.
What that gave me, I think, was kind of a unique point of view
as a film-maker of a male environment. So I put these characters
on screen the way I see them; not the way they see themselves.
I think if a young male director would have made this film a lot
of the emotional stuff would have been left out because maybe
that's not how they want to be portrayed. But I'm not afraid to
put a man on screen that fights but at the same time cries. I
think that's just my niche and I'll continue to do that. Who knows?
Maybe in 20 years I'll make a chick flick but I doubt it.
Related stories: Our
verdict on the film
Feature: Lexi Alexander
defends content of film amid controversy
Elijah Wood interview
Charlie Hunnam interview
Marc Warren interview
Leo Gregory interview
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