Review of Chopper (2000) by Alexander C — 06 Dec 2012

You don't see Eric Bana playing the protagonist, instead you see a maniacal mad man with a twisted sense of humor and a sadistic approach towards life in this biopic of Australia's notorious Mark Reed. Bana made the character his own only occasionally mimicking the half giggle half laughter that generates so much fear and hostility. While most people who knew Reed and author himself has already claimed that truth was never allowed to come in the way of a good yarn, the writers cleverly placed Reed's habitual lying trait into the story that evokes even more unpredictability confusing the audience as to what to believe as a fact and what is not. It would have made Indian film makers proud or even inspired by the attitude of the protagonist in an initial ambush scene.

Chopper is loosely based on the autobiography 'From the Inside' written by Mark Reed when serving time which is again loosely based on events in his life. This is not a Shawshank's redemption kind of story about survival in the harsh prison conditions for a crime you have never committed, but about one of Australia's notorious criminal who embraces the prison life often being the troublemaker. He claims more crimes than he is accused for, made more enemies than friends (an understatement) and still in the end came out the winner.

Eric Bana must have worked a lot to get his mannerisms right since it does not come naturally to him based on most of the other characters he has played where he comes off as a mild mannered, less talky serious person. Here, he wouldn't shut up. Always up to something, doing bad for someone and habitually lying on every event that takes place. Though the gore and graphic violence is pretty frightening and plays as an advert to stay off prison, the screenplay is very mixed - a lighthearted exchange is followed by an intense cruel episode. A sequence when Reed and some of his acquaintances get high was innovative unlike similar scenarios dealt in other movies. All supporting actors do an excellent job. The cinematography is quite inventive as the visuals are dark and bright at the same time.

An Eric Bana show playing Australia's most notorious showman.