An Interview with Nick Love, Director of The Sweeney

 

By  Writer, Yevette Renee Nelson

I had the opportunity to do a phone interview with Writer and Director Nick Love. The focus of the interview was his motivation for writing and directing the London based film The Sweeney.  The Sweeney is an action thriller with a twist; you have to act like a criminal to catch a criminal. The film follows the Sweeney Flying Squad, tough old school crime fighters enforcing the law. Jack Regan leads the unit that’s unstoppable when it comes to combat with street lawlessness. The Sweeney opens in theaters this weekend.

Yevette Renee Nelson:  “What made you want to write about the London Police?”

Nick Love: “My interest was not in writing about the London Police, but in making a good crime film. I wanted to make a crime drama similar to those made in America during the 1970s and shows like ‘Starsky & Hutch’.”
Nelson: “Do you have a sequel in mind?”

Love: “Financing may be available, but having financing’s not a good reason to make a sequel. What one needs is a good story. I’m also interested in filming any possible sequel on location.  The central character Jack Regan could possibly follow his nemesis from London to another country.”

Nelson: The Sweeney is filled with powerfully poignant close-ups and I asked Love what his inspiration was for incorporating these extensive shots.

Love: “I instinctively felt that way.  I wanted a very intense, muscular film. The cinematography developed it into a strong and robust film.”

Nelson: “As a whole, the film has good acting and storytelling. It’s filled with the dialect of native Londoners from the East End so it may be a challenge for some to understand all the dialect. The Sweeney will keep you guessing who the real criminals are. A great action film to see. Check it out.”

Nelson: “What additional writing projects he has planned?”

Love: “I have written for the BBC and have a 6-part TV show that I may direct.”

The Sweeney
Opens: March 1, 2013
Distributor: eOne
cast: Ray Winstone, Damian, Lewis, Hayley Atwell and Ben Drew
Producers: Allan Nibio, Rupert Preston, James Richardson, Christopher Simon, and Felix Vossen.
Run time: 112 minutes