Review of Bronson (2009) by Ryan H — 23 Aug 2011

Filled with comedy, drama, and truly difficult moments to watch, Bronson exceeded my original expectations of the film. People were comparing it to A Clockwork Orange, but it's hardly like it other than it's set in Britain and a man is struggling through prison and going straight.

Tom Hardy puts on one of the greatest performances I have seen. He fully embraces the Michael Peterson character. Only someone who has found passion for the person could have put on such a performance.

But Peterson, or Charles Bronson as he later decides to call himself, is hard to grasp or love. He fights. He doesn't know why he loves to fight, but he always has and he isn't thinking about changing his ways.

I loved getting inside his head. We know Bronson is in solitary confinement and is imagining being in front of an audience and telling his story. We are the audience, we are receiving the story. But there's not much to tell.

He first stole from a post office and was sent to jail for 7 years. He was transfered because of bad behavior to many different places, even a loony bin. He's not doing it on accident, he sees it as going to different hotel rooms.

It's so hard not to laugh at his story because, as the last warden says, he is ridiculous. It lags in the middle when they start abandoning the audience thing. I mean, there's not much you can do with a goofy story about a guy who beats the crap out of everyone.

But it's still great.