Bronson

Bizarre account of the “most violent prisoner in Britain” Michael Peterson who was re-named Charles Bronson, after the American film star, by his fight promoter.  Strikingly photographed crime drama is highly stylized.  Bronson frequently narrates the action from a vaudevillian stage, facing an audience.  His bloody bare knuckle brawls with prison guards are a frequent, brutally savage occurrence.  In contrast, the soundtrack is highlighted by classical music and Giorgio Moroder-ish electro pop.  The odd mix clearly takes it’s s stylistic cues from A Clockwork Orange.  Actor Tom Hardy is memorable as the title character, but as a  biography, it’s incredibly shallow.  Snapshots of a life are presented without any exposition.  It’s hard to understand this miscreant since the script never delves too deeply into his bloodthirsty personality.  We get 92 minutes of rage with an art house bent. Call it an audacious free-for-all, that just doesn‘t go the distance.