Bronson (2008)
Action, Biography, Crime |
Bronson is a British biographical crime film directed by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, who also wrote with Brock Norman Brock. The film stars Tom Hardy as Michael Peterson, known from 1987 as Charles Bronson. The film follows the life of this prisoner, considered Britain’s most violent criminal, who has been responsible for a dozen or so cases of hostage taking while incarcerated. He was given the name Charles Bronson by his fight promoter, for his bare-knuckle fighting years.
Born into a respectable middle-class family, Peterson became known as one of the United Kingdom’s most dangerous prisoners. Because of his violence, Bronson was repeatedly put into isolation or solitary confinement, which may have contributed to his emotional problems.
The film begins with scenes from Peterson’s delinquent early life which he narrates with self-deprecating humour. Initially he addresses the camera dressed in prison garb; other times he tells his tale in a vaudeville-style theatre with a live audience. The film’s story unfolds as a surreal narrative of connected vignettes punctuated by vaudeville interludes.
He recounts episodes of crime and violence leading to his first prison sentence of seven years. At sentencing his mother hopes he will be out in four but his violence in prison extends his sentence beyond seven years. He is sent to a psychiatric hospital where he continues to rebel and is administered drugs which he claims make him physically weak. His first escape attempt is to walk sluggishly toward the exit, where he is waved back to a chair by a staffer.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers: Brock Norman Brock (screenplay), Nicolas Winding Refn (screenplay)
Stars: Tom Hardy, Kelly Adams, Luing Andrews, Katy Barker, Gordon Brown, Amanda Burton, Andrew Forbes
►Cast:
| Tom Hardy | … | Charles Bronson / Michael Peterson |
| Kelly Adams | … | Irene |
| Luing Andrews | … | Hysterical Screw |
| Katy Barker | … | Julie |
| Gordon Brown | … | Screw |
| Amanda Burton | … | Charlie’s Mum |
| Mark Devenport | … | Nurse 1 (as Mark Davenport) |
| Paul Donnelly | … | Screw |
| Andrew Forbes | … | Charlie’s Dad |
| Jon House | … | Webber |
| Matt King | … | Paul Daniels |
| James Lance | … | Phil |
| Holly Lucas | … | Young Man |
| Juliet Oldfield | … | Alison |
| Jonny Phillips | … | Prison Governor |
| Mark Powley | … | Andy Love / Friendly Screw |
| Hugh Ross | … | Uncle Jack |
| Andrew St. John | … | Workshop Supervisor |
| Joe Tucker | … | John White |
| Tracy Wiles | … | Jewellery Shop Assistant 1 |
| Mark Fish | … | Fish and Chips Shop Manager |
| Kairon Scott Busuttil | … | Baby Charlie |
| Raphael Cilla | … | Baby Michael |
| Sam Cullingworth | … | Prison Officer (as Sam Cullingwick) |
| Adryan Puicella | … | Prison Officer |
| D. Keye | … | Prison Officer |
| Peter D. Brammer | … | Prison Officer |
| Lee Alvey | … | Prison Officer |
| James McIntyne | … | Prison Officer |
| Sebastian Rodgers | … | Prison Officer |
| Rob Frost | … | Prison Officer |
| Wez Smith | … | Prison Officer |
| J.H. Bond | … | Prison Officer |
| Simon Field | … | Prison Officer |
| Peter Barry | … | Prison Officer |
| Alexander Jablonskas | … | Prison Officr |
| Roger Camden | … | Prison Officer (as Roger L. Camden) |
| David Clayton | … | Prison Officer |
| Jason Whiteby | … | Prison Officer |
| Bob Brookes | … | Prison Officer |
| Anthony Oddy | … | Prison Officer |
| J. Keye | … | Prison Officer |
| Nick Stock | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Alan Hefferon | … | Prison Officer |
| David Jackson | … | Prison Officer |
| June Bladon | … | Prison Officer |
| Ian Kitch | … | Prison Officer |
| David Nixon | … | Prison Officer |
| Michael Gregory | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Matthew Meakin | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Matthew Bennett | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Dean Daly | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Alain Greaves | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Bob Gale | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| M. Shirra | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Lee Birkett | … | Prison Officer / Screw |
| Les Fitzakly | … | Screw |
| Steven Smith | … | Screw |
| Matt Mathew | … | Screw |
| Christopher Smith | … | Screw |
| Malcolm Scotten | … | Screw |
| Phillip Sharpe | … | Screw |
| R. Hools | … | Screw |
| Martin Kay | … | Screw |
| Adam Bacon | … | Screw |
| Mark Shiran | … | Screw |
| Ian Kitchenham | … | Screw |
| Gary White | … | Prisoner / Gangster |
| Jimmy Ball | … | Prisoner |
| Barry Lee | … | Prisoner |
| Michael Nurse | … | Prisoner |
| Kevin Rutter | … | Old Con |
| G.R.L. Horobin | … | Old Con |
| E.T. Harry | … | Homo Con |
| Chris Thompson | … | Con |
| Matt Legg | … | Con |
| Lee Jables | … | Con |
| Shane Barker | … | Con |
| Zah Siddall | … | Con |
| Brendan McCoy | … | Con |
| Dean Spicksley | … | Con (as Dean Spinksley) |
| John Jennick | … | Con |
| Rick Wake | … | Con |
| Tonylee Brown | … | Con |
| Andy Moffatt | … | Con |
| Iain Hines | … | Shower Con |
| Adam Karimjee | … | Shower Con |
| Davey Smith | … | Shower Con |
| Darren Pegg | … | Shower Con |
| Philip Catham | … | Shower Con |
| A. Hendons | … | Shower Con |
| J. Gains | … | Shower Con |
| Joe Corr | … | Shower Con |
| Paul Baguley | … | Shower Con |
| M. Connolly | … | Shower Con |
| Graham Bishop | … | Shower Con |
| R.F. Florence | … | Gangster |
| Lindsay Frayne | … | Gangster |
| Leighton Frayne | … | Gangster |
| Kas Syed | … | Gangster |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia