This week, The Big Issue takes a close look at the new British boxing film Jawbone. Written by and starring Johnny Harris, the film boasts a knock-out cast – Ray Winstone, Ian McShane and Michael Smiley – as well as Barry and Shane McGuigan acting as consultants.
The music is composed by the legendary Paul Weller, who exclusively told The Big Issue why he chose Jawbone as his first film project.
“I’d always wanted to do a film score but wanted it to be something ‘arty’ and not mainstream,” he says. “I met Johnny Harris for a meeting in Bar Italia and he outlined the story. I was so vibed up by it that I started to construct the main theme and overall idea of what I thought the music should be before they started shooting – which was totally arse about face, but just as Johnny had a very singular idea of what the film was to be about so did I with the music.
“I’m tired of seeing/hearing the street/London type films with a banging techno or big drums soundtrack,” Weller continues. “I saw this as more abstract and evolving from tenderness and calm to violent and disturbing. I thought that captures a lot of the emotions of the film. I instantly liked Johnny Harris, he’s very intense but an extremely soulful fella too. He really wants to make a difference, and he has with Jawbone.”
To read more about the film, including interviews with Harris, Winstone, McShane, Smiley and McGuigan, buy the latest Big Issue from your local vendor.
