Review of Bronson (2009) by Tim M — 27 Apr 2014

Written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive (2011) and Only God Forgives (2013)), this crime biopic benefits from being different from the rest, thanks to a powerhouse lead performance from Tom Hardy, who relishes in playing Britain's most violent criminal, it's a study in human viciousness, showing our "hero" in a guise of many fantasies, and the scary thing is, most of them were true.

Michael Gordon Peterson (Hardy) was sent to prison in the 1970's for robbing a post office, and he relishes in his time behind bars, comparing it to that of a hotel. Peterson is passed around various prisons, but non of them seem to handle him, then he's sent to Rampton Secure Hospital, where he's heavily sedated, but still manages to cause trouble.

Then he's sent to Broadmoor, where he started a full scale riot on the roof of the prison. Unable to cope with him anymore, the justice system release him into the world, where he takes up bareknuckle boxing and changes his name to Charles Bronson, and then he's sent back inside for stealing a ring.

It's a very violent film, but it lurches quite a bit between vicious violence and pitch black humour. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the film is worth it for Hardy, who made his name with this film, and it was only a short time before Hollywood came calling, and he answered.