Tom Hardy portrays England’s most notorious prisoner in a film that, through theatrical fictionalization, becomes an indictment of celebrity culture and a tribute to the cult of personality.
A young man named Michael Peterson robs a post office and ends up serving three decades in solitary confinement. How does this come to pass? Well it turns out that in prison, Peterson adopts a survival mechanism we in the business call “being a truly awful person.” He relishes his bad reputation and works at it, actively.
He fights prisoners and guards equally, Hardy often seen “lubing up” with war paint, aka, butter. A real problem prisoner, he’s sent to serve out his sentence, now doubled, in segregation. Upon his release, he takes up bare-knuckled boxing and a pseudonym more suitable to his ultra-violent alter-ego: Charles Bronson is born (again). A mere 69 days later, he’s back in prison and worse than ever, instigating some pretty crazy hostage situations if the movie can be believed.
The film does an interesting thing where it has these asides where Hardy appears to be in a one-man Broadway show, painted into the various characters we’re introduced to, proud as a peacock to show off his many crimes, his escalating violence (in reality, he is still imprisoned to this day). The surreal soliloquies are little bites peppered among a buffet of horrid reality. It reminded me of a freak show, though I suppose that’s the message colouring the medium (or was it the strongman’s physique, or the ringmaster’s mustache?) I wasn’t always sure what to make of it and felt it was probably a bit overstylized, but if nothing else it is trying to be genre-defying, and it is.
The film makes no excuses for inexcusable behaviour, which is fortunate, but still manages to leave some upset in its wake – that old art vs exploitation theme snakes its way into this movie, and it’s hard to shake. But it is firm in one respect: whatever the spectacle, Tom Hardy is undoubtedly the star.
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On a related note, the real prisoner Charles Bronson was transferred to Parkhurst in 1976 after trying to poison the guy in the cell next to him. At his new facility, he met the Kray twins, who would become his lifelong friends – “the best two guys I ever met” (not actual good guys, of course, they were England’s mafia). Tom Hardy is about to portray both Kray twins in the movie Legend, set to screen next month at TIFF.
I actually enjoyed this random movie. Was rather interesting.
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Yeah, it snuck up on me. I had it queued up for a while but then felt unprepared – it’s pretty intense!
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Goes live Ed Hardy though.
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I’m not familiar with the true story of this guy, but the film sounds intense. I threw it in my Netflix queue. Great write up!
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Yeah, I really liked this…and Hardy is ON FIRE. Brilliant performance. I love the tidbit of info you give, about Hardy and the Kray twins. I can’t wait to see Legend.
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He is on fire, that’s exactly it. I just can’t take my eyes off him, and I always feel he could be on the verge of stroking out!
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Bronson is one of my most favorite movies ever! Hardy’s definitely genuine there and also the directing is spectacular.
Well, I always refer Hardy as a legend on the making 🙂
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Well I guess you’re about to be right!
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He’s been a busy boy that Hardy. Legend trailer sneaks look fab. Not sure if I’ll cope with Bronson but I’ll give it a bash. 😊
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Yeah, i was worried a vein in his neck might burst pretty much the entire time!
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Great post. Hardy is terrifying in this. His performance make this movie
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*makes
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Agreed. Not many others could pull it off. There’s an awful lot of him on screen!
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I also read that the mustache pictured above is the dude’s ACTUAL mustache that he shaved off and sent to Hardy.
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Nice writeup Jay. Hardy is one of those actors that goes for broke. It looks like the movie met its match. That mustache thing is actually kinda gross.
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Haha, SO gross! But that’s a good way to state it. He plays every role like it’s his last!
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I haven’t seen this one yet but I have no doubt Hardy could pull off a one-man show better than most actors. At the same time, the subject matter doesn’t really interest me though.
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That’s a great trivia fact! Yet to see this one. Nice work.
Adam.
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Nice review! Interesting tid-bit about the Twins, didn’t know that. Tom Hardy’s next film does look interesting 👍
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Well he does have a habit of picking interesting roles, doesn’t he?
Actually I was just at a comedy show where the comedian Chris Hardwick did a “Bane Jovi” impression where his Bane impersonation devolved into singing Bon Jovi songs. Surreal.
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He really has! Wow, that would have been super funny to watch and hear! I still have no idea what Bane said during the entire film…haha
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Tom Hardy is a force of nature in this and his performance makes it well worth watching. There wasn’t much about the film or the story itself that really interested me though.
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I haven’t watched this movie and actually I found this from your blog! I will take a look for it as weekend movie 🙂
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Great review of a true hidden gem. This was my first encounter with Hardy. It shook me. Really impressive talent on display. I love your analysis on the soliloquy sequences. So much time in solitary, and Bronson resorts to the theatre of the mind. Brilliantly executed. I enjoyed your trivia bits too.
I can’t wait to see Hardy as an anantagonist in Revenant.
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Yes!!!! I am so looking forward to that movie!
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