Review of Tyrannosaur (2011) by Collier W — 26 Sep 2012
When an actor moves behind the camera to tackle dire subject matter, we are right to be skeptical. Serious subject matter is no substitute for great artistic merit, but it is a shortcut to being "taken seriously.".
And so it seems at first glance with Paddy Considine's first feature. Within the first scene, the hero has delivered a death blow to his faithful dog.
Considine wrote and directed this alarmingly realistic character study on male rage and redemption. Overdramatic from the start, it is nevertheless full of great performances (though we've seen Mullan do this before, and it seems at times like his face will split from the wincing.) If you follow British film, you will likely hear a lot about his costar, Olivia Colman, and her performance is worthy of the praise.
What saves the film from heavy-handed melodrama iis both the nuanced performances and the uneasy symmetries that keep us from settling down into a comfortable point of view. The most satisfying narrative film at the festival thus far. Loses points for two or three songs on the soundtrack that are too on-the-nose. The man next to me started snickering derisively when the final song rose on the soundtrack, but then he probably beats his wife.
This review of Tyrannosaur (2011) was written by Collier W on 26 Sep 2012.
Tyrannosaur has generally received positive reviews.
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