Bronson: Blood, Guts and serious aggro

You know, I've got to admit that every-so-often, it's nice to have a change of operating system.

Just very occasionally, I should add.

Which is why I thought I should tell you about the film I managed to catch, last, on the family desktop, that's running Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin.

I wouldn't get too excited, though: it's going back home on Sunday!

At any rate ... ?

At any rate, let's get moving on, shall we ... ?

~~~

And let me tell you that I had something of the night to myself.

But I did have the company of a certain Mr Charles Bronson.

Or, at least, the movie about him.

And BEFORE I confuse my overseas readers, I'm talking, here about the 2009 Nicholas Winding Refn directed movie, Bronson: all about Charles Bronson, the man described as Britain's most violent prisoner.

Bronson sees Tom Hardy - who I'd last seen in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - as the film's (real-world) central character, Micheal Peterson: a man who changes his name to that of the movie star to follow a career in bare-knuckle boxing.

Only to have this interrupted, when, after robbing a post-office of just over £26, being sentenced to 7 years in prison.

Ending up serving quite a bit longer, as a result of being - as he, himself puts it - somebody nobody want's to f*ck with.

~~~

Now ... 

Am I going to tell you this is a good film ... ?

You BET I am.

While I can't tell you if Hardy's portrayal of Bronson is in any way true to life, I AM certain his performance as the main character is one of the most riveting thing I've seen on a DVD in years.

On top of that ... ?

On top of that, there's ALSO the fact that Refn's direction and framing of shots - as with the other film of his I've seen, Valhalla Rising - is absolutely amazing.

The combination of the two make Bronson a violent, but worthwhile watch.

Enjoy it, when you get it ... !

Bronson

★★★★

Valhalla Rising: Blood, Guts and the New Jerusalem …

You know, I think — think — that Movie Night Adrian, Dr Kevin, and I have seen something of a Marmite movie, tonight …

Let me clarify that, for those of you who don’t know.

Marmite is a yeast extract made in the UK that — as its adverts constantly tell us — you either love or hate.

Personally?

I love the stuff!

But I think I’ve found an almost valid comparison.

You see, as Adrian, Dr Kevin and I all had an evening free, tonight, so I invited the pair of them over to catch a film.

And, of course, Adrian being Adrian, he’d managed to pick up SOMETHING from Brentwood Library, bless him.

The very obscure, Nicholas Winding Refn directed, Valhalla Rising.

Which sees Mads Mikkelson play One-Eye, an mute, one-eyed, Norse warrior who is press-ganged onto a crusade to the Holy Land.

One that goes seriously adrift, and finishes in what appears to be … well …

Decidedly not Jerusalem.

‹‹·››

Actually, is now a good time to mention Vinland … ?

Because that’s where they seem to have ended up … !

‹‹·››

In any case, I think I can stick — almost — to my assessment that this is something of a Marmite movie.

Almost …

Because Valhalla Rising isn’t a ‘Love It’ or ‘Hate It’ sort of film.

It’s a film that I think you’ll either turn off after about the space of ten minutes.

Or, much like Movie Night Adrian, Dr Kevin and me, you’ll be glued to.

And given how beautifully shot this film actually is, I suspect you’ll find the latter.