Bronson

BRONSON is an odd film at first, opening with an in-your-face narration by Charlie Bronson (Tom Hardy), his bald, mustached face biliously moving about in jolts. Bronson's sort of irritating as he begins to tell his tale before a large, audience, but we learn that this is the point of the film. Bronson was touted by the papers of London as Britain's Most Dangerous Criminal. This, Bronson is, despite having been in solitary confinement for over 90% of his jail time. Still though, Bronson is an obvious character, more intrigued with how he can turn his violent impulses into fame than stop those impulses. His speechifying all over the film is a comment on this, for, it is who Bronson wishes he could be, when instead he's just a freak show of iron fists and incessant workouts. Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn, who directed 2011's DRIVE as well as VALHALLA RISING, BRONSON is a more minor effort, a little uneven and occasionally, self-admittedly unimportant and uninteresting. Fight scenes with Bronson are great, and Hardy plays the guy well, but the whole film isn't filled with what is the most interesting part of the character. Rather, a lot of the film is filled with uninteresting summary. The film is short, but it should have been even shorter for pure punchiness. Instead, the film is sort of languorous, and Bronson becomes grating when he's not doing something interesting like beating up guards. Even though this may be part of a point that Bronson's only real talents lay in beating the crap out of people, it doesn't make for a very entertaining film.
Bronson: ★★