DVD Review "BRONSON" Score B+ 87%

A star making performance from the lead. This well constructed film is the biography of Charlie Bronson Britain's most famous and most violent criminal. And yes his name came from Charles Bronson tough guy movie star, was given to him by his street fight promoter. Most of his life was spent behind bars with what started as a petty robbery and snowballed into a 30 year stretch in prison after prison including time in a drug induced asylum. The scenery here is chewed to pieces by our lead in this. The violence is both surreal and brutal. Bronson's desire to be famous overtakes his incarceration and most of his time is involved fighting with the guards which always lands him in solitary. Inter cut in the bio story of the happenings Bronson tells some of his story from the point of a stage show where he is the only man on stage entertaining a full house. They find him endearing, funny, captivating and brutal. The end hostage situation is particularly disturbing as Bronson got himself into some Art therapy and duped the counselor who ran the program becomes his victim. Overall a good film that leans primarily towards movie goers who like bio pics, and powerhouse acting.