Before HeyUGuys sets you free to read our rollercoaster interview with Noel Clarke we need to set the conversation below in a little context. On 21st of May one of our team, reviewed 4.3.2.1 for its cinema release. It would be fair to say the film wasn’t his cup of tea. Incensed at some of the content of that review Noel made his displeasure extremely clear, blocked HeyUGuys from his Twitter account and crossed us off his Christmas card list. You can read the review here and Noel’s objections below.
When I was approached to conduct a telephone interview with Noel for the DVD/Blu-ray release of 4.3.2.1 I did so on the understanding that it would be a frank discussion about all that had passed. The interview was dramatic and impassioned and therefore contains occasional uses of adult language. The conversation has been transcribed from a recording of that call – the recording wasn’t of sufficient quality to reproduce here. As to the film, we’ll let you judge who was right. We’d be fascinated to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
HUG: So we’re here today to talk about 4.3.2.1. It’s about to come out in a lovely Blu-ray/DVD presentation with the option of a chronological cut – are you excited for the release?
N.C: Yeah, yeah. I mean films come out, they get released on DVD, I don’t really get too excited it’s just part & parcel of it isn’t it really?
4.3.2.1 was quite a departure from the more intimate settings of Kidulthood and Adulthood – the film has a much broader scope. Did you feel any apprehension in taking on such a broad story?
Yeah but that’s just what you gotta do – life is here to challenge you. There’s no point in just being the guy who does the same stuff all the time, that’s pointless, it’s like eating apples every day. Why would you do that when you can try something different? That’s why I wanted to do that with this film & I think it definitely was that – something different. It gave girls a chance to be at the forefront & not just be rescued by men all the time – to have their own sort of thing going on – that was the idea.
You had the opportunity to assemble an amazing cast as well as the four strong female leads there were cameos from Mandy Patinkin, Eve & Kevin Smith. You strike me as a film lover first & foremost – did you have any kid in a toyshop/reality check moments on set? Like “Silent Bob & Inigo Montoya are here working for me!”
Erm no not really, maybe Kevin Smith was a bit of a trip because obviously when I first wrote the film I wanted him to do it & that was years ago before I had any sort of access. By the time I got in a position where I could make it I did have access but not really. They’re actors & they just do their work, it wasn’t like they just got paid ridiculous amounts of money. They got the script; they liked it so they wanted to do it. That’s what it comes down to – it’s not like you go out begging with a begging bowl.
You say to them do you wanna do this film & none of them have any rhyme or reason to do this film – you know Helen McCrory as well – they had no rhyme or reason to do it unless they liked it & they did.
Is that nice reinforcement for you to know that bigger names were drawn in just by the writing?
Nah, not really. The film was financed by me so it could have been all unknowns, it didn’t matter really. I think that gave us the bravery to go to people because we didn’t need ‘em. When you’re not going to people because you need them to get your film financed you can be more ambitious. Like: this is all we’ve got to offer you – you can do it or not want to do it. People wanted to do it. It’s not really reinforcement because for me I don’t need reinforcement. That’s not what I’m here to do. I’m not here to be pandered to or for people to be sycophantic. I’m here to do my job & like your job, like everything you do, people are either gonna like it or dislike it. It’s as simple as that really.
That’s an interesting perspective, to say it gave you the bravado almost to say they can take it or leave it, that’s a nice position to be in.
Well it’s not really a position that’s just a state of mind. Like the first film, Kidulthood, was the same: this is what I wanna write, this is what I’ve written. This is what I lived. People are gonna like it or they’re not gonna like it. Actually the honest truth is that nobody liked it & nobody wanted to make it & it was made independently. That’s the real truth of it. Then when it came out it did really well & then Adulthood got made you know & then everybody did like it. Well not everybody but a lot more people & the same people who didn’t like, well had no interest in making the first one were falling over themselves to make the second one. You know & then this was something different which got made. Like everything – the way you speak, the shoes you’re wearing – people are gonna like it or they’re not & you can’t do anything about it.
How do you deal with criticism/jealousy? I get the impression you use it to fuel your creativity – a case in point being 4.3.2.1 which you wrote in a month having been told you couldn’t write women you wrote from the alternating perspectives of four!
Okay my thing about that, I use negative things to fuel what I’m writing & I’m like: don’t get angry get even. The thing about writing it in a month – & this is something you can put down – the thing about writing it in a month, what annoyed me is this is something where people say, “You’re not taking the craft seriously”. Like, “Writing this in a month, blah, blah, blah, how dare he!” – You know what I think?
Addresses someone in background: “This is alright isn’t it?” then inaudible. Returns.
I think f*ck them. I’ll tell you why, because writing a script in a month is not a difficult thing to do. If you write ten hours a day, if you’re writing ten hours a day for thirty days there’s no reason why you can’t finish a script. Absolutely no reason. You can finish it in two weeks if you’re writing ten hours a day…
So if you had that passion behind you to just write & write & write then that fires it?
Yeah! That’s why for me, when people jumped on that comment about a month writing it, I don’t find that ridiculous. If I was writing two hours a day & then going off & having a coffee & saying (adopts weary luvvies tone) “Oh my creativity is drained” I could understand but it’s like you write ten hours a day every day then that’s not impossible…
So it’s from quite an adrenalin fuelled place then? You just sat & worked & worked until you came out with this brand new script?
Script, yeah. As for the criticism, I don’t mind what people say about my films because that’s what they’re there for. What I don’t like is when dickheads get personal, like your last reviewer.
Do you want to deal with that? Is there anything you wanted to address about our review – I know you weren’t…
(Interrupts) Yeah, first of all I think he’s a dick, that’s the first thing. I think he’s an absolute dick…
Okay…
Like it’s not really about the film it’s about a few little things like do your research yeah? The thing about saying the scene with Kevin Smith was clearly aided by his recent issues with Southwest airlines? We shot that film four months before the Southwest airlines thing so if your f*cking reviewer done his job he would actually know that. Right that’s the first thing.
Secondly, talking about me – how I come across as “vacuous & childlike, constantly showing off & trying to impress…” – I’m barely in the film. So if you’re talking about the direction then yeah that’s fine, the direction is a bit visually different to the first two films…
Let me just find the line in particular that you are talking about so people understand…
I can tell you what it is (reads from our review): “There is even a line where a character comments, for no apparent reason, that Tee (Noel Clarke’s character) probably has a big penis. The line is not at all funny, totally incongruous & weird when one things…thinks…things that Noel Clarke wrote…” it says things, can’t even spell so he’s wrote things “that Noel Clarke wrote that line for a female character to say about a character he was playing.” (Sighs)
So when I wrote the script in 2004 there was no character for me to play. I wasn’t playing any character. If anything I was probably gonna play the villain because I wasn’t really a known actor & it was just a chance to be in a film. So years have gone on & I’ve got older & the film is coming out – there was no real character for me to play. The role of Dillon goes to Adam, the role of Angelo goes to Jacob, I’m too young to play the Dad so the only role left to play was Tee. So consequently that line was not written for Emma Roberts to say about Noel Clarke that line was written for Joanne to say about Tee. I ended up saying it in character but I didn’t write it for myself.
Did you have any qualms about keeping it in for you to say or did it feel natural to the character of Tee that it be said?
Tee doesn’t say it, she says it about him!
Sorry, in the context of it being about him…
It was a choice of making her be sarcastic or making her say, “Well he looked a bit arrogant, he looked a bit broody…” basically all of the boys on the film – me, Adam, Ben Drew – were taking the piss out of ourselves. So there’s a speech in the film where Adam says to Ophelia’s character, “Yeah, yeah, I’m not usually the type of guy blud d’ya get me? Do you get me” & she says, “No, I don’t understand what you’re saying.” That’s just taking the piss out of when we did Kidulthood people complained that they couldn’t understand what we were saying. That’s kind of a nod to that – it’s taking the piss.
The line where Ben Drew says to Emma Roberts in the shop, “Oh, err you been sleeping with Doug? Blah, blah, blah, is mine bigger than his?” that’s just a classic stupid man thing that girls always take the piss out off…
Yeah?
Yeah because guys are always concerned whether theirs’ is bigger than the next guys’, not about why they force their emotionally neglected women to cheat, it always comes back to them taking the piss – the line in the shop about Joanne talking about Tee was just a piss take in the end about how people are perceived. You know going after myself about being arrogant & all that stuff, it was just a piss take, a complete piss take.
So it was a bit of a tongue in cheek response to some of the stuff that had come through after the other movies?
Yeah, actually yeah completely, exactly, the character wasn’t written for me, you know that’s stuff that came in after & it was just a piss take – we all laughed about it on the day. I don’t get why it has to be personal…
All the other stuff he said about the film I don’t care, he’s a reviewer, but when you start getting personal that’s when I’m gonna find you, when I don’t like what you’ve been saying.
It’s nice then that you’ve had a chance to address that today because, ultimately, the film was your vision & you’re the only one who can tell us what your intent was behind it. It’s great that you’ve been able to do that.
Yeah, I mean he’s allowed his opinion about the film, I’m not complaining about that, but if that’s your job to review films then review the film. Don’t start talking about me like you know me because then I’ll come down to your office & then you will know me.
We’ve talked about the fact that you’re open to criticism, you’re also obviously open to fan contact & they clearly appreciate that. Are there ever any drawbacks to having that kind of openness with people?
Drawbacks…you get as many people liking you as you get disliking you. But, like I said, that’s all part of it. You can’t do a job like I do, that has people supporting you, to me it’s different right because this guy I was just talking about, this guy that I’ve just been talking about , that’s a job & your job is to do something so stick to your job. But with fans or followers or whatever they don’t have a job, so you’re gonna get people that insult you & you’re gonna get people that come large to you & they’re like “What are you doing?” But you cannot have a job like I do or go on Facebook, or have a website like I do without people wanting to air their opinions. People are gonna air their opinions. You can’t expect people to sit there & go “Oh we love you & think you’re great” & not have people think you’re rubbish. That’s just part & parcel & if you don’t like that stuff then don’t go on Twitter & don’t have a fan page & don’t have a website.
It seems very bold to have that kind of openness & that kind of dialogue with people why is it so important to you to go back & give back?
Because they’re the people that support you! Are the critics the ones who watch my films & buy my DVDs? No. If the people have the right to support you or to make you number one or whatever then they have the right to ask you questions & be in contact with you. The world has changed it’s not like the olden days where stars – I’m not saying I’m a star – where stars were revered & they were untouchable. Everyone can contact everyone – it’s tangible. You can either put yourself on a pedestal & be incontactable & be like a lege(nd) to be worshipped or – because you’re not that big & not an A-list star- you can do it a different way & build a fan base & stay in touch with the people that made you. Like the other day I just said “Who wants a call?” & I called people up. I just started calling the fans up – people like that.
And you go back & give back in terms of speaking to younger people. Motivating people trying to break through in the industry or break out of the place they’re in. Why is that something that so particularly strikes a chord with you that you make the effort to go & do it?
Why do I do that, because it’s important, young people are the future you know what I mean? Whether it’s in this industry or not I try & instil in them hard work – I’m not their Dad, I’ve got a two-year-old myself – I don’t know what’s gonna happen but he ain’t gonna know about everything. Whether I end up a road sweeper or with millions & millions in a mansion he’s gonna learn how to work & if he breaks a toy he’s not getting it replaced he’s gonna learn how to take care of stuff. If I can fix it I will but he’s gotta learn to take care of stuff it’s that simple.
Young people today they’re in such a let’s get quick-rich society because of bloody reality TV – think they can get rich & famous quickly – that if I can just be like “Hard work!” it doesn’t have to be university but “focus & you can do it with hard work & dedication” then I’ll do that. Looking at it statistically Ladbroke Grove, where I come from, before it became trendy & they started making TV shows called Seven Days there, it was where I grew up & Ladbroke Grove was a rough area. I grew up with a single parent & statistically I should be dead or in jail but I’m making films. I just think I relate to people who come from a certain environment & come from a certain class. If I can show them that there’s a way out through hard work then I will. I don’t think I’m the best at what I do in any aspect – I’ve never said I’m the best director, actor, writer – but what I do is something different. Nobody does what I do. Americans do it a dime a dozen but over here nobody does what I do.
In terms of the films that I make if I can show people that they can be original & young people can maybe decide that they’re not going to go & hang out on the corner – that they’re gonna go & study media or make music or make films – then that’s what I’ll do.
Speaking about your younger fans & your boy, we come to some work perhaps you will be able to show him in the nearer future, that would be Mickey Smith in Doctor Who. Can any of your Doctor Who fans look forward to Mickey’s return? I know he was last seen fighting Sontarans somewhere in the future…
Yes he was! As I think you know that’s not really up to me. That would be up to the people that write the stories or Steven Moffat who was in charge of everything & the producers. Even if I wanted to answer that I couldn’t.
Is it something you would be open to though?
Yeah I mean I like the show, it was a big part of my past, if they approached me it is something that would be considered.
Your deal with Icon has maybe given you more freedom to cherry pick your projects. What is a fantasy project for you? What would be the ultimate project you could take on?
I can’t tell you that because I’ve written a couple of them already & I’m waiting to see what’s gonna happen!
So they might become a reality?
It’s a possibility.
So what’s next? Obviously we’ve got the 4.3.2.1 DVD release on the 4th of October but where can we next see Noel Clarke? I understand you made a movie with comedian Ben Miller –Huge – will that be out next?
Huge yeah, I think it’s only getting a small release but that’ll be out soon, it’s showing at Raindance on the 2nd of October. I guess we’ll be there as it’s a sort of independent film festival. I’ve just done a film called Screwed with James D’Arcy directed by Reg Traviss who made Joy Division, that was a prison movie & should be out next year & then in January I’m going to Australia for a movie that I can’t tell you about!
So it’s one extreme to the other at the moment, you’re all over the place! Are there ever any drawbacks to that?
I miss my son, if I’m away from work, I miss the boy. I miss my missus too but for different reasons if you know what I mean (laughs).
Do you try to make the effort to find projects closer to home to try to keep that balance?
No, I fly them out. I just fly them out.
We sat down with Neil Marshall for Centurion & obviously saw your work in that. How was the Centurion experience?
Yeah great, Neil Marshall is a great director & someone I admire a lot. I’ll tell you why: because he’s someone that’s trying to do things differently as well, he didn’t just make the same old thing. He’s one of the people that I admire so much in this country because I’m so sick of people just doing the same thing. What Neil did with Dog Soldiers, The Descent & even Doomsday & now Centurion is to make movies out of the UK that are not just ‘British Films’ & that’s what I’m trying to do as well.
So that idea of taking on more epic films appeals to you?
Yes, yes!
So in the future we might be seeing a Noel Clarke take on a Gladiator-type movie?!
No it’s different to that stuff but equally ambitious!
Well, the very best of luck with all your future projects & with the DVD release of 4.3.2.1 on the 4th of October. Noel Clarke, thank you very much!
Cheers for that! Cheers, bye.
4.3.2.1 IS RELEASED ON BLU-RAY AND DVD TODAY
