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Reviews
Borstal Boy (2000)
A unique and thought provoking film
I admit to not having yet read the book on which this film is based and I'm willing to concede that the book may well be far better than the film; as alluded to in other reviews. That being said, I found this film touching, funny, controversial, unique, all those adjectives and more.
The casting of Danny Dyer as a homosexual sailor in the 1940s really shows his versatility as an actor and I believe this must have been a challenging and rewarding part. The film deals with issues that are taboo even by today's standards and although the narrative can be at times overly sentimental, these scenes are strangely refreshing and poignant.
Danny Dyer has some great lines and one hilarious scene involving a football. "Borstal Boy" is unprecedented in its approach to controversial issues and makes for a film well worth watching.
Bronson (2008)
Watchable but ultimately pointless.
This film is visually entertaining but ultimately does not achieve anything. It does not humanise Bronson, nor does it attempt to, and there is very little else in the way of psychoanalysing his life.
There are also some scenes that don't seem to serve any point, particularly the scenes of him performing on a stage. This may be to highlight the idea that Bronson craves attention, but as with many parts of this film the intention is unclear.
Bronson clearly wants fame, he got more of it with this film, he comes out of it looking like a hero. This film does not portray him as a man with any failings whatsoever, this is unrealistic, but more importantly it's untrue.
Not a bad film really, and definitely worth watching if you're looking for a tribute film to a violent maniac.