How does someone who wants to be infamous view themselves? Nicolas Winding Refn explores this idea through Michael Gordon Peterson (Tom Hardy), or more commonly known Charles Bronson, or as he is known in the media Britain's most violent prison inmate.
Refn creates this world through an elaborate, dramatic and camp style, and creates a film that forces us to look at the chaos of Bronson's life. The audience is treated to great assortment of interesting visual tones and settings, and the back on forth between the stage monologues and the real life incidents pierces Bronson's consciousness. The soundtrack of the film also adds a sense of location and narrative film, and perfectly complements the visual tone of the film.
Hardy seems to have a lot of fun in this film as Refn seems to have let him off a leash. Bronson narrates the film in a vaudeville style and this is interspersed with extremely violent and physical scenes; so Hardy overacts and is bombastic. Then in other scenes where we have Bronson brooding or planning, Hardy is allowed to just fill the screen with his presence. Refn also took some liberties with the secondary characters and directs to harmonize with Hardy's acting. Matt King as Bronson's fellow inmate and bare knuckle boxing; Paul Daniels, is flamboyant and physically effectual, and Refn does to same for Bronson's family, lover and associates.
This film, however, isn't without its flaws, some of which are pretty unforgivable. Refn shows a poor understanding of pacing, and this film feels like every second of its 92 minutes; scenes drag and repeat. For example, the circular nature of the scenes in the mental prison, where we have some action followed by a stagnant shot of a cationic or defeated Bronson drags the movie out. There is also far too much slow-motion shots; firstly this distracts from the gritty setting of the prison, and does not suit crime film of this type. Secondly, it makes the hits less painful and more cartoonish, Bronson isn't super-human, and we are reminded of this when we find him beaten up and drugged, so this contradictory effect makes the slow motion feel pretentious.
Bronson as a character is also impossible to relate to. We must consider that his life is incredibly boring, he spends most of days trying to force himself back into a 6x8ft cell. He's a psychopath who has no real life connections, and the majority of relationships end the same way, into a hostage situation. The dialogue is a bit melodramatic as well, in my mind they forced drama into scenes just to divert the attention of the viewer as it doesn't take much to piece together what Bronson is about to do next.
Looking at this film as a whole it's hard to make a decision whether this movie is pretentious or effective. Refn straddles this fence in any other film I have seen of his, and this one falls all too often in this film.
Refn creates this world through an elaborate, dramatic and camp style, and creates a film that forces us to look at the chaos of Bronson's life. The audience is treated to great assortment of interesting visual tones and settings, and the back on forth between the stage monologues and the real life incidents pierces Bronson's consciousness. The soundtrack of the film also adds a sense of location and narrative film, and perfectly complements the visual tone of the film.
Hardy seems to have a lot of fun in this film as Refn seems to have let him off a leash. Bronson narrates the film in a vaudeville style and this is interspersed with extremely violent and physical scenes; so Hardy overacts and is bombastic. Then in other scenes where we have Bronson brooding or planning, Hardy is allowed to just fill the screen with his presence. Refn also took some liberties with the secondary characters and directs to harmonize with Hardy's acting. Matt King as Bronson's fellow inmate and bare knuckle boxing; Paul Daniels, is flamboyant and physically effectual, and Refn does to same for Bronson's family, lover and associates.
This film, however, isn't without its flaws, some of which are pretty unforgivable. Refn shows a poor understanding of pacing, and this film feels like every second of its 92 minutes; scenes drag and repeat. For example, the circular nature of the scenes in the mental prison, where we have some action followed by a stagnant shot of a cationic or defeated Bronson drags the movie out. There is also far too much slow-motion shots; firstly this distracts from the gritty setting of the prison, and does not suit crime film of this type. Secondly, it makes the hits less painful and more cartoonish, Bronson isn't super-human, and we are reminded of this when we find him beaten up and drugged, so this contradictory effect makes the slow motion feel pretentious.
Bronson as a character is also impossible to relate to. We must consider that his life is incredibly boring, he spends most of days trying to force himself back into a 6x8ft cell. He's a psychopath who has no real life connections, and the majority of relationships end the same way, into a hostage situation. The dialogue is a bit melodramatic as well, in my mind they forced drama into scenes just to divert the attention of the viewer as it doesn't take much to piece together what Bronson is about to do next.
Looking at this film as a whole it's hard to make a decision whether this movie is pretentious or effective. Refn straddles this fence in any other film I have seen of his, and this one falls all too often in this film.