Film & TV on DVD - John Doe Film News & Reviews

Greetings Film Fiends and welcome to John Doe's Film Blog. 30 years of dedicated celluloid obsession has meant that I have seen a few films. Drawing attention to some of the lesser discussed gems that I love. Cult classics, obscure curios and quality genre pictures. This blogs purpose is to translate some of my passion for these films and with luck, inspire you the reader to go check em out.

Crime Drama Comedy - Film & TV on DVD

Bronson (2008) - Trailer Included

The Pugilist Prison Poet Pontificates Passionately

Poster for Bronson - Available on DVD

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Thomas Hardy, Matt King, James Lance, Kelly Adams, Neil Broome

Born Michael Gordon Peterson, dubbed by the press as “Britain’s most violent prisoner”, the brutal primal theatrics of a caged beast are centre stage in Dutch Director Nicolas Winding Refn’s (Pusher) smashing character demolition.

bronson, thomas hardy, prison, british jail

A head smashing good time!

Taking the name of cinema tough guy Charlie Bronson (Thomas Hardy) for his bare knuckle boxing career, Bronson tells of an impulsive thief who in 1974 is sentenced to 7 years.

Where the outside world was confusing, behind bars he discovers his greatness in a simplistic routine. Becoming a machine of destruction, relishing combat against authority. This hard nut with an attitude problem has now served over 40 years in the clink, most of it in solitary.

Eager to rumble, Charlie’s self destructive behavior has led to hostage takings, massive amounts of property damage and much grievous bodily harm to guards and convicts. Brash, obnoxious and volatile this wrecking balls story is a character study of restricted confinement.

Bronson struts from the blue screen of death

John Doe says:

Set to the orchestrations of the era and told with a ballistic style, the savage content is relentlessly jabbed by our narrator’s deadpan showmanship. Establishing a hyper reality where cold truth is metered by bombastic humour and searing imagery. Sharing a similar comedic tone with the Aussie counterpart Chopper, Bronson is a staged extravaganza of physical charisma and sociopathic disorder.

bronson, uk prison, tom hardy, nicolas winding refn

Herrrrreeeee's Bronson smiling at Kubrick

Lensed with flesh shattered grit and presented with operatic ferocity, the distinct Direction of Nicolas Winding Refn (Fear X) is the steroid that flexes the frenzy into brilliance. Skillfully he makes a low budget work feel grandiose even epic due mainly to exuberant sound design, scoring and camera coverage.

There is energy in every frame, an unfettered by convention attitude to the narrative and an experimental aura. Just like the man himself there is an interesting contradiction between the yearning for gladiatorial punishment and expressive artistic talent.

tom hardy, bronson, jail, prison, cult films

A star making force of nature performance

Wielding a Cheshire cat smile and sideshow strongman presence, the much hailed performance of Tom Hardy (Star Trek Nemesis, Rock N Rolla) is electrifying. The transformation from his previous roles is as staggering as any of the great silver screen chameleons. Commanding centre stage in virtually every frame of the film Hardy is the ringleader that shackles the free formed spectacle into coherence.

Bronson had John Doe mesmerized. Its inventive character storytelling, stranglehold atmosphere and thumping, pulsing essence made for unique viewing. It’s a gratifying addition to the Prison genre that raises the morality puzzle of immortalizing a criminal, who in reality jones’s for fame.

Watch the trailer for Bronson