|
Tyrannosaur
| Released |
7 October 2011 |
| Director |
Paddy Considine |
Starring
|
Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan |
| Writer(s) |
Paddy Considine |
| Producer(s) |
Diarmid Scrimshaw |
| Origin |
United Kingdom |
| Running Time |
92 minutes |
| Genre |
Drama |
| Rating |
18 |
|
|
A ferocious debut.
It always pleases me to see the Warp Films logo flash up at the beginning of a film. Since its launch in 2001, Warp have released a pretty flawless run of films under their banner that have pushed the boundaries of lower budget film both visually and thematically. They frequently tackle the most pitch black material with sometimes shocking boldness. So it is with Tyrannosaur, the hugely impressive but incredibly dark directorial debut from Warp stalwart Paddy Considine.
The film centres on Joseph (Peter Mullan), a man driven into isolation by his terrifying fits of rage. He shows a shocking streak of cruelty, especially to those who are kind to him. When he meets Hannah (Olivia Colman), a religious woman who runs a local charity shop, he initially subjects her to his cruel tongue. Hannah appears to have it all but in reality is victim to the most horrendous abuse at the hands of her outwardly respectable husband (Eddie Marsan). Joseph and Hannah strike up an intense, dysfunctional relationship as she tries to escape her husband.
As you can probably guess from that synopsis, Tyrannosaur is almost unremittingly grim. In the first two minutes the lead character kicks his own beloved dog to death in a drunken temper and the only thing that lightens the mood of the assembled cast is a wake. It is however an extremely powerful and affecting piece of work and there is no denying the ferocity of the performances. Peter Mullan and Eddie Marsan are two of the best character actors working today and are intense as always. Stealing the show though is Colman. She is a revelation as a woman trapped in a cycle of abuse; unveiling her character’s damaged personality by subtle degrees, it is an always evolving performance. Considine manages these performances excellently for a first timer and visually does just as well. The look of the film is very much in keeping with the mood - the lighting reminiscent of a grey afternoon. There is ambition here, with Considine choosing a more widescreen approach than the shaky handheld visuals of a lot of British realism.
Tyrannosaur then, is not necessarily a fun couple of hours but it is a worthwhile and powerful watch. It shows a lot of promise that Considine, already considered one of the best actors of his generation, will make a similar impact behind the camera.
- Linda O’Brien |
