Bronson review by smalltowncritic.com

BRONSON *****

(UK release date, March 13, 2009; “Bronson” opens in October stateside) Thomas Hardy stars in the most important movie of its kind since “A Clockwork Orange.” Michael Peterson/A.K.A. Charlie Bronson is a British sociopath without any reason to be. He was born into a decent family and had plenty of advantages in life. Instead of embracing them, he rebels. After a youth full of fights and run-ins with the law, Michael finally takes the next step and robs a post office. His take: A few quid and 7 years in the slammer. It’s there that Michael finds the respect and notoriety he so desperately craves… by beating down guards so mercilessly that they eventually transfer him to a insane asylum. Thus begins Michael’s (who later changes his name to Bronson after a brief stint as an underground fighter on the outside) 30 year and counting incarceration and the reputation of being Britain’s most violent prisoner of all time. So violent in fact that they set him free for awhile just to get a break from him.

It plays out a lot like “Clockwork” and its Australian counterpart “Chopper,” except “Bronson” has two secret weapons: 1. Tom Hardy 2. Theatricality.

Hardy plays it dark and comedic, hamming it up to such zany levels that I would say he might get an Oscar nomination if he didn’t show so much full frontal nudity. When not nude and greased-up to give the prison guards the slip, Bronson monologues in front of an imaginary audience in order to feed his ego and desires for fame. His mannerisms are flat-out uproarious and his interactions with people are even more entertaining. Hardy’s performance is by far my favorite of the year. Can’t wait to see what he tackles next. I just hope he steers clear from the overrated box-office poison that is Guy Ritchie.

5 out of 5 stars

Never have I seen a trailer that so accurately conveys the actual tone of a film. Meaning: If you dig the trailer, you WILL dig the film…



http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/06/17/what-we-do-is-secret-and-bronson%E2%80%A6-2-amazing-biopics-by-coop/