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4.03.09 # Review # 5 Comments
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Tom Hardy, Amanda Burton
Release Date: 13th March (UK), TBC Summer 2009 (US)
Charlie Bronson is the UK’s most notorious prisoner. He’s also the most expensive, having staged destructive rooftop protests, attacked prison staff and taken several hostages during his years inside. For a while the tabloids were obsessed with him, as his antics made great reading. Here’s a man who simply doesn’t understand how to keep his head down in prison – violence and stand-offs are all a game to break up the boredom.
Now comes the film of his life, where his aggression and mayhem are treated as something of an art form. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (the Pusher trilogy), the story begins with Bronson’s incarceration for a botched armed robbery (£26 the haul) then settles into his long prison life which has been extended time and again for crimes committed inside.
The movie is occasionally lacking in plot, hardly surprising as the real-life Bronson has spent 30 of his 34 years in solitary confinement, so this is a character piece that rests on the central performance. And with few supporting characters getting more than a look in, this is a one man show in every sense of the word. Thank goodness then that Tom Hardy hits it out of the park. It’s hard to believe this is the same actor who played Picard’s wimpy clone in Star Trek: Nemesis. He has bulked up to intimidating proportions and his performance as Bronson captures all the menace, humour, self-doubt and violent playfulness that anyone could sense watching the real man for a couple of minutes. It’s an amazing turn that, if there is any justice in the world, should lead to great things for Hardy.
The other element that really clicks here is the direction, which is heavily inspired by Kubrick, in the best way. It takes some balls to attempt to imitate Kubrick’s shooting style, but they largely pull it off and it was no surprise to find out afterwards that the director of photography worked with the man himself on Eyes Wide Shut.
The movie is a touch slow to get going, but once you get into Hardy’s performance it’s impossible to take your eyes off him. He’s a constantly-ticking time bomb of uncalled-for violence, with great comic timing. If you have any love at all for the likes of Clockwork Orange or Chopper, then see it.
Grade: B+
Sweet, I’ll totally check this out when it hits the States.
I think the trailer for this film is fantastic. I wish I’d had to opportunity to check it out early. Definitely will see it when it comes out.
It’s definitely entertaining, but does that come at the cost of glorifying violence, and promoting criminality? Perhaps.
A movie made that really challenges preexisting ideas in film making? Or one that superficially pretends to do so?
This movie is constantly compared with A clock work Orange.
At the end of A clock work orange we are left with a strange desire for empathy for this social psychopath named Alex and loathing towards the “big brother” system which has taken away the liberties of free emotion from him – a dangerous concept. In Bronson the aim is exactly the same but without the same brilliance development of character and insight into the characters own and surrounding sociology or psychological insight – we learn nothing about the motives or creation of the Bronson psyche. so We can not empathize with him.
The creation of Bronson appears as a shallow copy of pre- existing formulas -mentally ill are shown in all cliqued glory – each scene is Kubric , without Kubric being the one directing. but more annoying is the makeup of the main character Bronson in his “stage performances” – here we have a total surface copy of A clock work orange – there is no creative liberty taken what so ever, the whole farce can be seen as desperate attempts to make this movie “cool” instead of one that is really valid or honest as is Alex’s much more masterfully delicate and personal monologues to the viewer in ACWO which delve into psychology and our undestanding and empathy of the main character.
Also Comparisons to the Australian “Criminal cultural idol” Mark Brandon “chopper” Read are numerously made. There is no comparison to be made – We see Chopper as a real violent psychopath – but we also see the almost redeeming cleverness and psychology in him – we see the creation and effect of his charisma the power of it – but we also get a chance to see its fallacy and his own weakness in character, in the times that fail him , we are shown his blatant lust for fame and that his physical presence and “gift of gab” as a mask of his own insecurities and there we may emphasize with him as he appears as a small scared little boy. We see also to some degree the inner social workings inside the Australian prison System between the inmates themselves and the wardens – we see the hierarchy in effect. we also see this insight when Chopper is “outside”. In Bronson We do not . The fact that one movie is Realistic and one is not then does not become an issue. Bronson is superficial movie making in all senses of the word. Bronson is churned out following every institutional clique after another here you do not see a movie directed by a brilliant individual or the acting of any brilliant individual or the creativity , but you see the regurgitation of textbook theories on film making – a movie created by a university without real depth or soul or understanding or individuality, Bronson is asked what does he want? Bronson answers “What have you got”
Bronson is not like james Dean in rebel without a cause but he IS rebel without a cause. Bronson is cool.
What are you rebelling against Johnny? “what have you got?”
this is not a skillful comparison of character, but overly crude, blunt and cumbersome, as is any choice (or should I say copy) of vehicular or narrative devises used in the film making of this movie. The fact that Some people put in the effort to make a movie is applaudable, but to make a movie with the integrity to challenge Hollywood, this just is not the way. This movie constantly attempts to pull the wool over our eyes instead of melting us into its being or to allow us to be mesmerized or captivated into aligning with it – as is ONLY achieved with skillful mastery in movie work from all whom are involved . But here every scene is a blatant copy from somewhere other than the directors self, there is no directorial choice making or briliance is to be seen what so ever. the creativity is superficial as every “creative element” of this movie has been ripped and crudely glue-sticked and sticky- taped together. This film is a travesty to real creative film making and just must not be applauded for being so. It is a Tarantino movie without Tarantino’s own original style of dialogue and character insight which gives credit to his more blatant cut and paste movie making than we see in other Hollywood films. But even a Tarantino movie has more subtlety in showing its influences and individual vision than this tripe. A Tarantino takes ideas and contexts and puts them in new combinations or awareness, for example; the western gunslingers, or samurai/kung fu warrior are shown in new situations now they are blended and in the playground of women in kill bill. a violent women anti hero being vastly unrepresented previously in Hollywood film making. Or presence of philosophically or socially comedic criminals in Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, unforeseen by the masses before Tarantino, even Inglorious Bastards in being such an obvious display of thoughtless entertainment is in a way credible in its awareness of being so. But here no similar new combinations or relevations occur. Bronson is a psychopath who goes into a criminal system and comes out and we the viewer ar asked to side with the criminal -nothing new there – its based on a true story so there is not really much creative freedom available to be experimented with plot wise. So the creators of this film should be under the obligation as self respecting “creative people” to experiment though other mediums than plot vehicles. but as we see this done in the film of the same subjects “Chopper” REALLY we do not gain any new insight or experience anything result of creative expression from watching this film. we dont even gain the simple indulgence of thoughtless entertainment that we can gain from a Hollywood block buster because this film pretends to be something else; it pretends to be groundbreaking and artistic. Perhaps it is the actual intention of this movie – to show the viewer how the guise of artistic credibility can be used to cover a superficial and pointless work to an artistically ignorant viewer. If this is the case then this movie is in fact GENIOUS, but for some reason i suspect this is not the case, and is an example of the perpetration.
Any display of the initiative required to make a movie in the first place is always applaudable. but we seem to be applauding this fact alone which blinds us to look at the actual validity of this movie in its heart and soul. It really is a pitty that what was made was such a display of institutional brainwashing comparable to that which occurs in Hollywood, but without the honesty of being what it is.
I cannot help but feel the scarce monetary funding available from government grants and awarding bodies to support young filmmakers could have been used much more wisely to support for more deserving and creative young players in the independent film industry. Young talents whom really risk new boundaries and challenge our preexisting views in society. Those directors and film makers whom question us the viewer through their work maintaining our loyalty and acceptance of the new ideas through mastery and skillful use of the film medium. Not those whom take an easy and pointless route embarking on constant immature and superficial quests for glory, recognition and cool-status from those still wishing to achieve the same thing themselves.
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Post By Sheridan Passell
4th Mar
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