Review of Bronson (2009) by Chris M — 01 Feb 2012

Having been undewhelmed by this director's beautiful, bleak and tedious "Valhalla Rising", I was cautious approaching this film. It's not for everyone, in fact I would advise caution, but I think it's brilliant.

Bronson is a film unlike almost anything else I've ever seen. The only near-comparison I can think of is "A Clockwork Orange". However, that story of Alex has an explict political theme throughout, whereas this character study is almost completely without morals or moralising. There's no bigger message, or attempt to explain or understand.

Michael Petersen was a mixed-up kid from a nowhere town with nothing extraordinary about him. But through a conscious cycle of fighting and violence, he became Charlie Bronson, one of the UK's most notorious criminals and prisoners. Like a child having a tantrum, his behaviour got him noticed, and he liked it. So like a child having a tantrum, he repeated and escalated the behaviour.

In a performance somwhere between a sociopathic circus ringmaster and and unstoppable, unholy force of nature, Tom Hardy is astonishing in the title role. He's at once compelling and repellent. He's savage, amoral and brutal, but he's also funny and charismatic. At times I almost found myself understanding him, which was deeply unsettling. I couldn't take my eyes off him, even when I really, really wanted to.

Charlie Bronson wanted to be famous, and he became infamous. He makes us believe this is all he's ever wanted, and it feels pretty nihilistic, pretty pointless. The film spends no time at all trying to explain - it simply dramatises this brutal, almost incomprehensible life. It's sometimes very funny and often savage. I really, really liked it.