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Released by: Strand Releasing
Released on: 10.7.11
Director: Paddy Considine
Cast: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan
Year: 2011
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The Movie:
I've been a fan of Paddy Considine as an actor ever since I saw his powerful performance in Shane Meadows' 2004 revenge flick Dead Man's Shoes. So I was very interested to witness his writing/directorial debut, Tyrannosaur, and he doesn't disappoint with this dark drama about violence and redemption.
The story here focuses on Joseph (Peter Mullan, “Mother Superior†from Trainspotting), an aging, unemployed widower who has some drastic anger management issues. He's trying to balance it all out and start a new chapter in his life but his drinking and general rage keep getting him into rough trouble. He's almost bipolar in his reactions, getting keyed up at one instant, then seeming to realize what he's done and is apologetic, only to then start talking with his fists.
Escaping a rage episode he ducks into a charity thrift shop and comes to the attention of timid clerk Hannah (Olivia Colman). As it's a Christian-run store she sees a poor soul in need and prays for him. He's unsure what to do about this so he leaves, only to return the next day. However, this time, he's much more in command, taking his anger out verbally on Hannah, mocking her perfect, manicured world where there's a God who cares and actually gets involved with humanity. Leaving her weeping, the story then follows Hannah and her horrible domestic situation with an abusive husband (Eddie Marsan). She's clearly wanted to have children but doesn't want to with the volatile, brutal husband she has. Hannah has it far worse than Joseph can possibly imagine and yet the two form a sort of bond out of their mutual misery, with Joseph continuing to offend Hannah and belittle her beliefs.
But events soon take shape where the two characters draw closer. Hannah manages to pull some good out of Joseph while he, for his own part, tries to start acting more calmly. But the ghost of his ex-wife still hangs heavily over his home and his life and his inability to deal with inner conflict without violent rages is too much for him and, after housing Hannah after she's beaten by her husband, Joseph decides he can't deal with her problems in addition to his. This, then, leaves her susceptible to returning to her husband who, more infuriated than ever before, beats and rapes her.
Hannah returns to Joseph and the film seems to be heading toward a logical solution of him putting things to right for her when the story then takes an unexpected turn - a turn that leaves Joseph speechless and morally adrift. And yet he has a new resolution and experiences a climax of brewing violence with his asshat of a neighbor and his violence toward the young boy that lives across the street. It's a very dark place that he goes but, having realized that his situation is not as horrible as he thought it, he's able to perform one last act of brutal justice and then do his time for it.
Audio/Video/Extras:
This was only a screen “for your consideration†disc that came from Strand - so, as such, there were no extras or options. The film's presentation here is in 2.35:1 widescreen but seems noticeably dark, with many night scenes nearly swallowing the characters entirely without differentiating them from the background. The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is helpful given the heavy accent of the lead character and a few others and thunders nicely in the bass when the “Tyrannosaur†footsteps are focused upon for dramatic effect.
Summary:
Oddly enough, the film opens and just about ends with Joseph being brutal to dogs. The first is introductory, showing his character as an out-of-control rage-aholic; the latter, though, is actually employed to show how far his character has developed. That second act is one of justice, not baseless anger, even if it is more psychotic in nature and outcome. It gives the character one last flash of his old ways before he's finally able to put that away and evolve, burying the dinosaur and becoming a caring human being. And that's the real point of the film: It doesn't matter how we get together to the point of investing in one another's lives and caring - it just matters that we do as part of the human race. The very real costs of such behavior and how to live are examined with care and detail in Considine's debut and it's a well-done tale of redemption and peace.
