Review of Bronson (2009) by Patrick M — 25 Feb 2012

A biopic of one of Britain's most notorious criminals, Bronson is an impressive, brutal, almost Kubrickian outing from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn. As I said before, Winding Refn gamely channels the style and spirit of Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, and applies it to the story of a real-life character, notorious prisoner Michael Peterson, aka Charlie Bronson, renamed by his fight promoter after Death Wish actor Charles Bronson.

Refn directs his own script (co-written by Brock Norman Smith) with a manic hand, telling Bronson's story through his own point-of-view, which gives a surprising insight into the implied madness that he had in his ambition to be famous.

Apparently, "famous" means fighting in fight clubs, getting yourself arrested multiple times, constantly extending your prison sentence by fighting and attacking guards every time they open your cell, and eventually getting yourself landed in a mental hospital.

It's part black comedy, has a dash of surrealism, and even a couple of horror elements thrown in. And surprisingly, this comes together to make a deep, sophisticated, and smart film, that densely packs a lot of story and exposition into a mere 92 minutes.

However, for all that the film owes to Refn, this movie really belongs to Tom Hardy. I can only imagine that watching this film is what inspired Christopher Nolan to cast him in Inception and as the main villain in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, as Hardy is simply brilliant in his portrayal of the notorious criminal.

Hardy comes off as simultaneously jovial, manic, violent, and even occasionally serious, packing so much depth into his role in such a slight movie. I suppose the supporting cast does a decent enough job as well, though Hardy simply overpowers them in every scene.

Overall, I would recommend Bronson. It feels like a real-life version of A Clockwork Orange, without the nihilistic ending, and in place a darkly realistic one. Oddly appropriate.