Bronson (4½ Stars)

The picture used on the film poster shown above is misleading. It gives the impression that this is a boxing film. There are a few fight scenes in the middle, but they're not important parts of the plot.

The film is a true story about Michael Peterson, who later changed his name to Charles Bronson. He was born in 1952, and his main goal in life was to become famous. He couldn't sing, he couldn't act, and even as a criminal he was a failure. In 1974 he committed his first crime, robbing a post office. He stole £26.18 for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison. 38 years later he's still in prison, having spent over 30 years in solitary confinement. The British press has labelled him Britain's most violent prisoner. During his time in prison he's not only beat up guards on a regular basis. He's taken prison staff as hostages and set buildings on fire. After having his photo on the front page of British newspapers and being the subject of a film he's achieved the fame he's always wanted.

If you read about Bronson you'll see that the opinions are divided. Some people think he's a monster, others think he's a misunderstood genius. The film walks a delicate line between the two extremes, while injecting psychedelic elements that have earned it comparisons with "A Clockwork Orange". A fascinating film about a fascinating man. But the last chapters of the story have yet to be written. In November 2010, a year after the film was made, he stripped naked, covered himself with butter and attacked six guards.