Review of Tyrannosaur (2011) by Marc L — 03 Oct 2012

From a distance, this movie is begins with a man, Joseph, who kills a dog as a result of his own depression, and ends with the same man killing a dog to become happy again. Surprisingly, but perhaps common for British cinema which is much less "Hollywood", his journey to that happiness is one that contains no watershed moment.

Essentially, Joseph is the same man he was at the beginning: an uncontrollably angry, Stella Artois drinking, alcoholic widower who wants to change his life. The crux of the movie--and the point behind the parallel caninicides--is that he learns to use his anger for better causes.

The dog at the beginning was his best friend; the dog he kills at the end was terrorizing a little boy to the pleasure of its master. On a more esoteric note, Peter Mullan brilliantly portrayed, what I conceive to be, the commonly-jaded British working-class male.

This is a man innately proud of his outstanding country but subconsciously coping with its long-waning influence on the world. It is a misplaced bravado clinging on to a confidence that is ultimately false.

It's a secret every subject knows but refuses to acknowledge. This is the American male 50, 100, 200 years from now. Olivia Colman as Hannah masterfully executed her role as a charming and noble Christian charity shop worker who returns home at night to routine physical abuse.

She and Mullan both vividly display how complex the characters in this movie are, and how realistic to real life that is. I recommend giving this a watch: it is a movie that requires your undivided attention in order to pick up on the subtle nuances and messages.