|
Chopper (August 5, 2002)
Eric Bana delivers a star-making performance in Andrew Dominik’s very good feature debut, a true story about Mark Brandon Read, Australia’s most notorious criminal-turned-celebrity. Bana is a whirling dervish of violent emotions that frequently crossover into the psychotic, but he’s careful (complicit with Dominik’s spare, simple but well-constructed script, based on Read’s books) not to reveal too much verbally about his character, letting only the occasional existential thought slip out. Instead he lets Read’s violence—which includes self-mutilation as well as murder and maiming—do the talking because as random as it appears, each violent act has a point, a means of moving Read’s life forward toward his goal of superstardom—it’s almost as if he’s a man who considers violence his job. Bana is galvanizing—appealing and frequently hilarious—but doesn’t allow respect; it would be a disservice to his character, because though he inspires fear in those around him, everyone’s looking to get even and while they don’t succeed, they keep on trying. Dominik spans two decades of Read’s life with strong pacing and a great sense of place, and while he frequently gets a little tricked-out (Danny Boyle is the obvious influence here) he still has made a mature, thoughtful film about violence and how it’s seen by the perpetrator.
|
|
|
