EXCLUSIVE: Nick Love interview

We caught up with Brit director Nick Love to talk about his new film Outlaw. Always one to court controversy, his latest film has inevitably put people's noses out of joint. Starring Sean Bean, Bob Hoskins and Danny Dyer, it's the volatile tale of a group of law-abiding citizens who turn against the system in an attempt to get the justice they feel they truly deserve. After the success of The Football Factory and The Business this is Love's most political and mature film to date, he gave us the low-down on the making of the movie and why it's such a dangerous film…

LOVEFiLM: Outlaw does seem a definite move by you to move into territory - there's even a quote for The Observer on the poster! Was that a conscious decision by you to reach a bigger audience?

Nick Love: I supposed it's a segway out of what I've been know for doing. The first three films were all very colloquial, about South London, they're very much lads films. But with Outlaw, while there is an aspect of that - its about tribalism and fighting - it's more about the tone and the style of it as opposed to The Factory or The Business, is much more a serious study. For me it was really important to reinvent myself. The Football factory was a phenomena, it sold a1million DVDs and The Business has become a big film, but I think people were like, 'he's done that, he's done The Football Factory, he's done the voice over and that sort of stuff', and I thought if I do it again I'm gonna get crucified. I'd rather get crucified for the subject, like I am for Outlaw, than for the actual film making…

LF: You seem incredibly passionate about the film, what is about it that has driven you so much?

NL: I wouldn't make a film that I really didn't believe in. I really believe it's got something to say and I believe it's important. Whether it's putting people's noses out of joint, I don't give a f**k. It's important to me as a subject, so I'm prepared to get nicked, or be typecast as a villain. The Business wasn't about anything. It was a good looking film, and it became a very popular because of the colour and the clothes and the music - but Outlaw is me. I think of Gene Dekker, Danny's character, and it's me, I'm the sort of man who just wants to get on with his life, but you can't. The structure of the country is not set up to go quietly anymore, its all about surveillance and engagement - there's so much against us at the moment.

LF: Outlaw lacks that tribalism, and the gang of men here are very isolated, so much so that he feels quite hopeless in places…

NL: There are two reasons for that, one is that it is just naturally that feeling of, 'well, what did they achieve?' There were other endings to the film, much more update - like The Football Factory, that left you on a high - but it was totally the wrong way to the end film, because it treads a very fine moral line.

It's a dangerous enough film, because it's about men empowering themselves and there are lots of impressionable young men in this country that could easily misconstrue the subject of Outlaw, so it had to be really measured about it.

LF: What do you think about Empire magazine giving the film one star?

NL: I couldn't give a f**k. The bottom line is those magazine's like Empire, they hate people like me cause I'm not reliant on them, I don't do anything with them, I won't be part of their silly little film geek club. They don't have the final word on a film anymore, Outlaw will be a big movie because Everyone wants to see it, regardless on whether they give it one or two stars.

LF: You're a great self publicist, Outlaw isn't just a film, it's a 'Nick Love' film, how does that make you feel?

NL: Since we've been doing the publicity for Outlaw, I've become really aware of the fact that I've done more press than Sean Bean, more than Danny Dyer - my films have become a brandable name almost. It's brilliant, I'm a total outside in the film business, I never go anywhere, I just do my own thing. The accolade is that people are paying to be in Outlaw, and we've now got thousands of people as executive producers - and that's the pay-off. Everyone wants to be recognised, not famous but recognised, my job's hard - you're under huge pressure, spending other peoples money and you want to be recognised for what you do…I want people to say, 'he's f**king bang on that bloke, he speak to the common man or whatever…',its important.

LF: The cast is an impressive line-up, how did you get the likes of Sean Bean and Bob Hoskins involved?

NL: He's very shy Sean, and he never does much publicity, but he's been great, doing stuff with Outlaw that he wouldn't normally do - and you know I've cajoled him to go on a few TV shows with me - and its been really good. Sean, like he's said, was drawn to it by the character, but he's also drawn to the politics. He's a working class boy from up north, just like Bob is - although not from up North - they're from the manor and they believe in what's behind Outlaw. They don't just believe in the character. The one thing that wasn't in it for them was the money; they're had to be more to it than that.

LF: I know you've said that you're not a politician, but you are in position where hundreds of thousands of people will see your film - you have a chance to reach more people than Blair or Cameron perhaps…

NL: Yeah people have said to me you've got such a responsibility now, you've got such a big voice. But it's hard to think about that though, I live on my own in Gloucestershire, in my house, in the middle of the woods and generally do spend my time in my allotments, with my bees, and I do love nature and weirdly I'm in a very gentle place in my life, even though I've made the most volatile film, so it's hard for me to understand.

LF: What's up for you next, I hear you're planning on doing a reworking of the Sweeny?

NL: Yeah that's up next, I mean it could all go pair shaped, I've got used to working my own way and now suddenly I'm working with a studio. It's like a hybrid studio film with 20th Century Fox. I've not signed anything, so I could walk away if I wanted. I have to make things my own way. They've said that I have final cut of the film and I can completely do my own thing with it. So, as long as they stay true to their word then we'll make it, I think it will be later this year or next spring that we'll shoot it.

It's a contemporary remake and I'm really excited about it to be honest. For a while I sort of struggled with how I action this, how do I take on an old thing and revamp it? You know it's a big operation this film. I'm planning on having big set pieces, and the centre piece I'm planning - you're the first person in the press to hear this - is inspired by a story I read a couple of years ago. It's about a robbery - but they got caught before they actually went through with it - but they were planning on robbing Peter Jones. On Christmas Eve, all of the money goes to one branch as they're shutting for Christmas, so this really audacious set of villains were going to try and rob Peter Jones in the middle of Christmas, so that's the centre piece and its going to be a f**king hell of a gun battle and car chase down Oxford Street…

Helen Cowley