Bronson (2009)

Stylistically, it was a very entertaining movie. The plot just didn't explain enough for this movie to have stretched into the upper tier of 2009 films. Unfortunate for me, since I really wanted to see this. While good, it's not great.

Michael Peterson a.k.a. Charlie Bronson (Tom Hardy) is Britain's most notorious prisoner. Ever since he was a young man, Bronson had been in trouble with the law. Originally being jailed for a simple robbery, he received 7 years. That would turn into 4 with good behavior. That didn't happen. Numerous fights, hostage takings and lack of disregard for human life had the number of years jailed increase substantially. Charlie spent the next 34 years in jail, 30 of which he was in solitary confinement. He was released during that tenure, but the longest stretch he went without committing a crime was only 69 days. As I write this, Bronson is still in jail today with no sign of parole or probation in his future.

This movie is very similar to A Clockwork Orange both in its direction and its glorification of violence done by the lead character. The disappointment came in the lack of back story with Bronson. I wanted to know a lot more about the man's childhood than they showed. They got his characteristics and mannerisms dead on. I know this because there are Youtube videos of one of his fights and one of his hostage takings. Watch this for the style, not so much for the substance.