Bronson (C- or 1.5/4 stars)
The subject of 'Bronson', directed by Nicolas Winding Renf, is one, Michael Peterson (Tom Hardy); a hot-headed British man who, in 1974, was sentenced to 7 yrs. in prison for robbing a post office - but ends up spending over 30 yrs. in solitary confinement. "Bronson" winds up being this man's alter ego as the film dramatizes his unstable mental state while in jail. Violent as a young kid, Michael barely made it to 20 before being locked up behind bars. Though intended for only 7 yrs., Michael/'Bronson' (his prize fighting moniker) acted out in prison; attacking inmates & guards in gruesome ways. In addition to serving in maximum security facilities, he also was committed as a criminally insane person. He became free in 1988, but got himself into trouble immediately; giving him another trip back to the big house. His violent, verging-on-psychotic demeanor was in full force. But, believe it or not, it was that very behavior which almost endeared him - in a twisted way - to the British public. He was & is a sort of celebrity ... as long as he stays behind bars.
There's no doubt that both the subject of this film and the film itself are provocative. Provocative, stylized, visceral & surreal. The movie opens in a very mysterious, haunting way that arrested my attention immediately. I was creeped out, for sure; disturbed by what I was seeing & hearing on the screen. He's just nuts. But over time, the creepiness went away. Strangeness set in. And I became bored with the relentless displays of freewheeling aggression, rage, anarchy, blood, gore, incessant profanity, exploitative nudity & faux-art pretention.
Furthermore, we just see 90 mins. of a madman being mad, rather than understanding WHO he is & WHY he's this way. And there's very little to this true story that may actually be true (apparently, his exploits are riddled with embellishments throughout the film). There's nothing expository linking one vignette to the next ... just one frenetic scene after another. One of the narrative devices of the film includes Bronson doing a one-man show inside his tortured head (behind bars) for all of us. This is to show that he is insane. But again, there's no character development or plot point to hold our attention; his 'show' gets redundant. Don't get me wrong, I was never bored by 'Bronson', I laughed at parts & I grimaced at parts ... but he & this film just royally pissed me off (because it could have been so much better).
A lot of people are crediting Tom Hardy for a superb, brutish performance. But for me, it is as if someone told the actor to shave his head, look angry, curse a lot, act savagely, strip down naked, make weird faces, & repeat. I don't think his "portrayal" was fascinating; just crazy for crazy's sake. There is a difference. 'Bronson' takes us on a disappointing trip into Michael Peterson's insane asylum psyche. A potentially fascinating look at this criminal was actually just an ugly, shallow, non-insightful roller coaster ride through Hell.
There's no doubt that both the subject of this film and the film itself are provocative. Provocative, stylized, visceral & surreal. The movie opens in a very mysterious, haunting way that arrested my attention immediately. I was creeped out, for sure; disturbed by what I was seeing & hearing on the screen. He's just nuts. But over time, the creepiness went away. Strangeness set in. And I became bored with the relentless displays of freewheeling aggression, rage, anarchy, blood, gore, incessant profanity, exploitative nudity & faux-art pretention.
Furthermore, we just see 90 mins. of a madman being mad, rather than understanding WHO he is & WHY he's this way. And there's very little to this true story that may actually be true (apparently, his exploits are riddled with embellishments throughout the film). There's nothing expository linking one vignette to the next ... just one frenetic scene after another. One of the narrative devices of the film includes Bronson doing a one-man show inside his tortured head (behind bars) for all of us. This is to show that he is insane. But again, there's no character development or plot point to hold our attention; his 'show' gets redundant. Don't get me wrong, I was never bored by 'Bronson', I laughed at parts & I grimaced at parts ... but he & this film just royally pissed me off (because it could have been so much better).
A lot of people are crediting Tom Hardy for a superb, brutish performance. But for me, it is as if someone told the actor to shave his head, look angry, curse a lot, act savagely, strip down naked, make weird faces, & repeat. I don't think his "portrayal" was fascinating; just crazy for crazy's sake. There is a difference. 'Bronson' takes us on a disappointing trip into Michael Peterson's insane asylum psyche. A potentially fascinating look at this criminal was actually just an ugly, shallow, non-insightful roller coaster ride through Hell.