On an imagined stage, Michael Peterson performs his one man show in which he tells the story of how he desired to become famous, adopted the alter ego Charles Bronson, robbed a post office, received seven years in prison, serving 34, 30 of which were spent in solitary confinement. "Bronson" is director Nicolas Winding Refn's brutal biopic on the life of Britain's most notorious and violent prisoner. Shot as a dystopian nightmare comparable to "A Clockwork Orange", Refn's dark and stylish film is more off-putting and bizarre than it is entertaining. The film is anchored however by a twisted, intense, brooding, and psychotic comic performance from Tom Hardy who is a whirlwind of spit and fire from start to finish. Hardy's performance carries Refn's flawed film that is often striking and funny, but also sometimes gets lost in excess, rambling, and artistic pretense.
