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Oct 09, 2009 By Jim Scott Issue #28 Fall 2009 - Monsters of Folk

This portrayal of Charles Bronson, the most violent and expensive prisoner in the history of the U.K., is wildly uneven. Bronson was born Michael Gordon Peterson but took the tough-as-nails actor’s name while fighting during one of his short stays outside prison walls. Bronson’s days inside prison have been marred by constant fighting with guards, leading to riots and 30 of his 34 incarcerated years spent in solitary confinement. Director Nicolas Winding Refn’s film is, at first, held together with clunky devices such as voice-over and a stage monologue. As Bronson gains some momentum, it becomes extremely engrossing, only to fizzle out again at the end.

Tom Hardy is a revelation as Bronson. His performance takes cues from such disparate actors as Buster Keaton and Daniel Day Lewis. Although Refn and Hardy don’t ever seem to find the heart, black as it may be, that makes Bronson tick, it’s still an all-out effort by Hardy, one that has already vaulted him onto Hollywood’s radar, in a similar fashion to Russell Crowe’s turn in Romper Stomper or Eric Bana’s in Chopper.

www.magnetreleasing.com/bronson

Author rating: 5/10