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 Director: Nicolas Winding Refn Starring: Tom Hardy http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172570/ In 1974, a hot-headed 19 year old named Michael Peterson decided he wanted to make a name for himself and so, with a homemade sawn-off shotgun and a head full of dreams he attempted to rob a post office. Swiftly apprehended and originally sentenced to 7 years in jail, Peterson has subsequently been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. During that time, Michael Petersen, the boy, faded away and 'Charles Bronson,' his superstar alter ego, took center stage. Inside the mind of Bronson - a scathing indictment of celebrity culture. At first viewing I found this to be pretty over glorified and artsy, but once it really got going and I could relax into the character a bit more, I was able to appreciate the subtle evolutionary development of Mr. Bronson into the crazed lunatic he wanted everyone to believe he was.... or did he? I found this review of the film and I find it really summed it up in a good way: quote:"Charlie Bronson (born Michael Petersen) has the distinction of being Britain's Most Notorious Criminal. Despite never having killed anyone, and mostly being a petty thief, at the age of 56 he has spent 34 years in prison, 30 in solitary confinement. He has also won awards for his art and poetry. He has one ambition: “All my life I've wanted to be famous.” And so he is. The film is extremely exaggerated and stylized, and fairly violent (but not gory and again, Bronson never killed anyone, and he isn't really Chopper either—his is more frequently the violent rage of a charging bull than a calculating psychopath), somewhat in the tradition of Clockwork Orange, but much less cruel, much funnier, and to me, much more entertaining. Bronson isn't seeking pity, or even understanding. On some very basic level, prison seems to suit him just fine—but he appears to maintain some sort of sense of dignity and even freedom through a rabid refusal to conform. There are shades of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in the darkly hilarious scenes in the psychiatric prison, a place which did not suit our protagonist in the least. Tom Hardy's performance is utterly mesmerizing. And the combination of visuals and music, and even dark humor, is reminiscent of the best of Terry Gilliam—and throw in some Vaudeville and Grand Opera—in other words, shameless excess! I found this movie endlessly entertaining, but I don't mind violence, and extravagant stylization is a good thing in my book—especially when it's done as gorgeously as it is here. More of a stylized psychological portrait than a true “biopic,” Bronson is a unique film treat—yeah, not for everybody—but for you artsy intensity junkies, this is it!" so, if you are looking for an entertaining film on an interesting character study, I would suggest giving this a shot. pros: a lot of rear end kicking, interesting filming, really pulls in a lot of good influences, has some humor and is just a fun watch, albeit a bit uncomfortable at times. cons: feels like it takes itself too seriously here and there, some of it gets old from time to time but I feel it didn't detract from the story. Felt superficial in parts, and really wish it could have gone into more of his head, but I guess that was the point. Only Bronson knows what Bronson is thinking. 4/5
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Feb 14, 2010 23:57
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Really entertaining watch. Has strong and blatant influences but at the same time didn't feel like it was trying to emulate anything. This film is a spectacle and little else. 4/5
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May 31, 2010 07:26
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