Monday, July 6, 2015

Tyrannosaur


Directed by Paddy Considine.
2011. Not Rated, 92 minutes.
Cast:
Peter Mullan
Ned Dennehy
Sian Breckin
Paul Popplewell
Jag Sanghera
Mike Fearnley

Whether by chance or God’s design, we all meet people unexpectedly, from time to time. One such meeting occurs between Joseph (Mullan) and Hannah (Colman). Joseph is an angry drunk. It takes very little to set him off. In fact, we meet him just as his hair-trigger temper causes him to kill his own dog. After another alcohol fueled tirade, Joseph wanders into the shop run by Hannah. She’s married and openly Christian. She speaks calmly to Joseph and lets him know she prays for him. Even though he yells at her and brazenly ridicules her beliefs, it’s obvious he enjoys her company. Visits to the shop become part of his daily routine. The two develop a friendship seemingly based on their differences. A love story ensues that’s probably unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Along with Joseph we discover, despite our initial impressions, Hannah’s life is at least as tumultuous as his. While he spends nights drinking and getting into fights, hers are spent with an abusive husband. His name is James (Marsan) and we realize how vile a man he is the very first time we see him. His temper is every bit as nasty as Joseph’s and likely even more dangerous since all of his rage is focused on just one person. Tyrannosaur is a beautifully brutal movie featuring three people who have an intimate relationship with violence yet yearn to know love in the same manner.

The brutality doesn’t always come from that violence. The psychological warfare being waged and tension created from not being sure when the hurtful words will turn to damaging action is as much a contributing factor. This includes the constant back and forth between Joseph and a much younger jerk of a neighbor who is mean to the little boy befriended by Joseph. The neighbor always has his constantly barking dog by his side, threatening to release the hound to deal with whatever is bothering him at the moment. The dog is every bit as aggressive as its owner.


The neighbor and dog are not simply unruly characters. For us, they also function as Joseph’s id. Raw and unchecked, they bully anyone in their path. On the other hand, Hannah is his moralizing superego, at least when she’s with him. Apart from him, she’s a victim who seems resigned to her fate. She’s grasping for a solution to her problem that doesn’t require leaving her husband. She’s only reaching within herself with no desire for outside help.

Director Paddy Considine has crafted a marvelous film. He deserves extra credit for showing “just enough” restraint. In less capable hands, this would likely be just another sadistic exercise in voyeurism where the camera carefully records even the most gruesome details. The worst of the toughest scenes actually happens just out of our view. However, they’re shot in such a way that, while it’s clear what’s happening, we still have to use our imagination to fill in the visual blanks. He doesn’t rush his movie, either. Despite clocking in at barely over 90 minutes, Joseph, Hannah and their stories have ample room to breathe. We get to know these people, understand their fears and regrets. It all culminates in an ending that’s not at all what we’re expecting. It’s a bittersweet redemption tale that threatens to stretch our idea of happily ever after completely out of shape. Arriving at the conclusion that it really is a happy ending warrants much debate, even within ourselves. That’s the final stroke of genius in a movie filled with them.


10 comments:

  1. This is a film that is in my watchlist as I really want to see this being a fan of Paddy Considine.

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    1. Hope you get to see it soon. It's outstanding.

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  2. I loved Tyrannosaur - I have seen it only once about two years ago but I remember it so well. I watched it late at night and couldn't sleep afterwards, I think I had to watch about 5 episodes of Friends before I could get to sleep properly! It just made me feel really, really down but I'm going to take that as a mark of a good movie.

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    1. It's certainly a tough watch, but one that's worth the effort. I believe it caused you trouble sleeping, because there is lots that's unsettling about it. Glad you still love it, though.

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  3. I actually saw this movie after reading your review and I must say I absolutely loved it. Thanks for the recommendation!

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    1. That's about the best compliment you can give me. Thanks!!!

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  4. Completely on board with this review. You're so right, had Considine moved the camera just a little bit one way or the other, thereby fully revealing the horror, the movie would've been too much too take. But it does indeed show just enough restraint. A hard film to take, but an important one.

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    1. Thanks. Camera placement was huge, in this movie. Definitely a hard one to take, but I agree, it's important.

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  5. Beautiful review! This was such a beautifully made and incredibly disturbing film.

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    1. Thanks! I love this movie. Glad you're playing nice with blogger today. :-)

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