|
| . |
|
Chopper 2000 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Andrew Dominik
R, 93 min. (strong brutal violence, language, drug use, nudity) |
 |
Starring: Eric Bana, Simon Lyndon, Vince Colosimo, David Field, Daniel Wyllie, Bill Young, Kenny Graham, Kate Beahan
Producer: Michele Bennett
Screenplay: Andrew Dominik
Cinematography: Geoffrey Hall, Kevin Hayward
Distributor: First Look Pictures
Released: 4.11.01 (Limited) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Chopper tells the story of one of Australia's most controversial figures, Mark "Chopper" Read. A conscienceless killer,
Chopper made a name for himself in the prisons and underworld of Australia. Feared by those who know him, he's
extremely unpredictable - one minute he's your best friend, the next your worst nightmare. The disturbing thing about him
is that even he probably doesn't know what causes his outbursts of rage that result in terrible acts of violence against others.
His popularity is evident since he's a best selling author in Australia. People are drawn to the unusual, and Chopper definitely
qualifies.
The film clearly states that it's based upon Read's life, but not necessarily entirely accurate in its portrayal. Supposedly, director
and writer Andrew Dominik interviewed Read, and from that meeting and Read's book, wrote the screenplay for the film. The biggest
challenge for Dominik was finding the right actor to play Read, and he couldn't have done any better than landing Eric Bana,
who gives a powerful, disturbing performance that one of the year's best. Bana imbues all the apparent qualities of the real
Chopper, with a disconcerting amiability that hides the ever-present rage lying just beneath the surface. Whether or not
Bana talked to Read before portraying his life, I don't know, but it's a scary-good performance.
Chopper is a better than average film, but falters in its presentation - it jumps around quite a bit, leaving the viewer a bit
confused as to the time period and situations. Chopper jumps from Read's incarceration in the 70's to the 90's, with a good
deal of time spent on his days as an undercover cop to flush out local drug dealers and invoke his own sense of justice on others, while trying to avoid being taken out himself
due to the number of contracts out on his head. But the film isn't as important as Bana's performance, which is clearly the
reason to watch the movie.
In the end, you're more likely to remember Bana's presence on screen than anything about the storyline. He's a rare talent
that deserves a shot at some bigger roles in Hollywood very soon. Whether many people will actually see the film in the U.S.
is not clear, but for those who do, it's a worthy endeavor. Chopper may seem choppy in its delivery, but its mood and feel
more than accentuate a riveting character study of a disconcerting individual.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
|
 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
© 2000 - present ReelCriticReviews
All movie pictures are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective holders
Their use on this site is for informational purposes only and does not imply ownership
|
|
