Bronson

We're starting a new feature here and letting other people post. The general reason for this is because if they read their own review it doubles the readership of this blog. On the other hand anybody else who posts here is probably going to do things like exert effort, proofread, and not engage in casual racism so this may just end up making me look inferior. Whatever, I'm special in my own way...right Teddy Ruxpin? Our first guest is my boy Mark. Take it away Mark:

I figured that for my first guest posting here on What I'm Watching, I figured that I would choose a little known title that even fewer people would have any desire to watch so that I could keep my credibility as a reviewer as long as possible. So, a biopic about one of the most famous British sociopaths since the 1960's Kray brothers seemed to be just obscure enough to accomplish my goal, yet keep me interested enough to actually finish it and want to write about it. I did watch the 80's film depicting the Kray's disturbing lifestyle during the U.K.'s swinging 60's like any good Smith's fan from the 80's, but nothing could prepare me for the sheer insanity of this particular character.

Even though the subject of Bronson couldn't have been more curious, who doesn't love a homicidal lunatic turned bare knuckle boxer turned pop artist, the movie seemed to be a mess of competing styles. It was as though John Cleese was starring in a remake of "The Red Balloon", but the balloon was actually on a self-aggrandizing spree of sociopathic behavior. I think that these elements could have worked together a little better if the whole thing was dripping with melodrama. Saying all that, I do have to admit that my favorite scene from the first act was of a loony bin discotech complete with The Pet Shop Boys club classic "It's a Sin" accompanying the cotton robe clad inmates' drool filled dance-a-thon. (Insert normal Saturday night joke here). Editors Note: I'm going to show some restraint, but its difficult.

It isn't until the second act that the movie starts to resemble a traditional narrative. That is, if the story line has the Cheshire Cat playing the role of Rocky Balboa's trainer. I did finally get a sense that the character was progressing toward something during the boxing section of the movie, but that was short-lived. Back down the proverbial rabbit hole we go... back to prison. The fact that the character only enjoyed 69 days of freedom in between prison stays should have clued me in to the amount of screen time would be devoted to extra-penal activities.

I wouldn't say that I hated this highly stylized film, but it just wasn't really for me. This film is probably exactly what the fans of a nihilistic career-criminal (see http://www.freebronson.co.uk/) want to watch, but I'll go a different direction for my yearly dose of cockney criminal... a lot less operatic melodrama, a lot more Guy Ritchie. So, if you enjoy dark, melodramatic biopics about sociopaths, you should watch Natural Born Killers. If you prefer a cockney accent, Bronson will have to do.