Bronson (2009)
Posted by Branden on October 12, 2009
The Man. The Myth. The Celebrity.
Based on the true story of prisoner, Michael Peterson, the infamous Britain’s most dangerous prisoner incorporates the alter ego of Charlie Bronson. Bronson has been traveling the film festival circuits for over a year and now it is opening in limited release. All I say is, “who cares?”
Director Nicolas Winding Refn recounts the life story of Peterson (Tom Hardy) that has a violent streak with his temper and his fists. Starting out with his boyhood when he was a petty criminal and he was sent to jail.
Being a loose cannon, he hops from jail to jail for the thrill of it. Fighting with prison guards while he’s naked, attacking fellow inmates and being a little bit off. He is committed to mental hospital.
After getting out of the place, he tries his hand at being a underground fighter by the moniker, Charlie Bronson after the action star, Charles Bronson.
His bad boy side comes out and he is sent back into jail when he discovers his true passion. He spends thirty-four years in prison and he loves every minute of it.
Tom Hardy is fine as the titular Bronson. The ultimate question is what is the point of this movie being made? If the main character is uninteresting, the audience would not care about what happens to them in the end.
I didn’t care about him addressing the camera. Him doing the “Chicago” motif of acting out his story is front of a studio audience was completely unnecessary. Why does Bronson look like he’s from the nineteenth century? I don’t care about this person I haven’t heard of. What was the driving force to make this movie?
Judgment: Words cannot express how I think you should not watch this movie.
Rating: **1/2
Steve said
I’m sorry to be reading such a lackluster impression of the movie, I’ve been really looking forward to this – the style, performers, crew and subject matter all seemed to be resonating with something original. I suppose of Bronson himself doesn’t come off as compelling. I doubt this will ever make it to the screen in Victoria before it’s available at the video store, so maybe I can take the low risk approach to checking it out.
Branden said
People were comparing this to “A Clockwork Orange”. It’s not. It’s like watching a vampire flick that has no blood in it. Oh, that was “Twilight”.
Maybe you would have a different impression of the film than me. Who knows?