Chopper

Chopper is the nickname of Mark Brandon Read, a notorious real life criminal whose crimes were chronicled in a best selling book by him. Eric Bana plays Read to perfection. An early scene brings to mind the Michael Madsen ear slicing portion of Reservoir Dogs. The camera stays on Bana for 90 percent of the hour and a half running time; and not a minute is wasted. The style is similar to the equally vicious Bronson, which also deals with an infamous Australian criminal. Both are must see movies for anyone who is a fan a the crime genre. The sardonic humor is the sort typically associated with films from Down Under. Just to watch Bana chew up the screen with the look of an actual sociopath, is worth the price of the DVD rental. The New York Times of April 13, 2013 has a profile of Mark Brandon Read which is an excellent companion to this adaptation. Do not miss Chopper.

I have to disagree with those that say this is for Aussie's only. Chopper is an amazing piece of filmmaking in nearly every regard and goes beyond the limitations of vernaculars. I had to laugh at the review that dismissed it as sophomoric tripe and attempts supporting his argument citing the film's lack of realism in violence. Although based on a real man this is storytelling cinema not documentary. There is an obvious element of gross exaggeration in most of the scenes of violence in Chopper, which serve a purpose (or, more specifically, several purposes). Chopper is obviously incapable of telling the truth – or even hearing the truth.

It is, at first, difficult to figure out why so many are drawn to Chopper (and not at all difficult to see why so many wish him dead). Within the first few moments Eric Bana establishes Chopper's character in a way that reveals the off kilter charisma that some simply cannot resist. Those Chopper seems to get along with best are those on the periphery, those who don't invest too much whom he seems intent on impressing. Those too involved with him are locked into his doom because simply no one is able to keep up with the mythological figure Chopper has created himself (or tries create himself) into.

Darkly humorous, brutal, yet not without pathos the film rightly focuses on its central character and lives up to the unlikely hero's motto: never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn. "Chopper" is a fascinating film filled several amazing performances even in smaller roles (e.g., Jimmy's chain smoking, junkie, white trash, pregnant "fiancée" stumbling to the floor to pick up a sawed off shot gun in the hallway).

Not for everyone, but those who get this sort of thing will be richly rewarded.

Like many of the best films, CHOPPER isn't about one thing, and it doesn't tell one story. It's a film about life on the fringes of society, about the lasting effect of growing up in an unstable, violent environment; it's about mental illness and the less glamorous (and thus in film rarely depicted) aspects of the life of a gangster and career criminal. Most of all though, it's one of the most fascinating character studies I've ever seen with a tour-de-force performance by Eric Bana that is never less than superb. This was only the debut feature by director Andrew Dominik, but it's the meticulously crafted masterwork of a driven artist that deserves to be mentioned together with the best debut films by directors of his generation (it would take him 7 years to confirm with his sophomore film, the excellent THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007) that he wasn't a one-hit wonder). Once you've seen this raw, shocking, at times darkly funny portrayal of a sociopath you'll understand why it single-handedly launched Eric Bana's international career. A truly excellent film. 9 Stars out of 10.

In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:

imdb.com/list/ls070242495

Andrew Dominik writes and directs his film debut of Australian crime legend turned best selling author, Mark "Chopper" Read (who can't even spell and claims to be nearly illiterate as he spouts a big mocking laugh right in the faces of everyone). Bana in the title role completely owns this character and goes through a gaudy transformation, producing one of the most fascinating performances you will ever find. A performance that should be as legendary as the real life character in which it based on, is sadly overlooked and missed by many. A movie this low budget and this relatively unknown hinders the level of praise it will receive from fans and critics alike, but it's one that should be sought out by anyone with the least bit of interest because it doesn't disappoint. Bana gives the performance of the year and one of the best the decade has to offer. He truly captures the charisma of Read. He's also convincing when he puts a bullet in someone's knee or head, or stabs them to death and leaves them in a pool of their own blood. Completely driven by paranoia, jealousy and speed, Chopper corners himself into a room and finds a nice cozy spot all by himself. He's pitted against anyone and everyone, which is beautifully captured in the films final moments. Out of fear he's forced to kill or be killed. He has no friends, and the friends he does have attempt to kill him because of the dire circumstances he puts himself in. He has a sense of charm and infectious attitude that attract people to him when he's sober. He's seemingly incapable of murder, until he's struck the wrong way at the wrong time, then anything is possible. Whether it be the guards in the prison, the media, or the people of Australia, Mark "Chopper" Read is as fascinating as they come.

Dominik really has shown to be extremely interested and captivated by the art of storytelling, and how fact and fiction can become blurred or distorted. We see multiple scenes where an event will unfold, then we'll hear "Chopper" tell the story of what happened, then we'll hear someone else tell the story in a completely different manner. One thing Chopper loved to do was tell a story. He loved to fascinate and make people laugh. Sometimes he had to bend the truth and make certain events a little more entertaining, or more intense, because that's what storytelling is: Bending the truth and amplifying certain facts while downgrading, or disregarding others. This is way when "Chopper" tells Read's story the audience feels all the emotions he felt during that time. Dominik captures this beautifully. One great scene portrays Chopper getting stabbed by his own friend, and the pure shock that he felt by getting stabbed by his friend is illustrated in a way that's incredibly unusual and surprisingly hilarious. Like Chopper, we can find humor in some of the most odd and unexpected places. "Chopper" is one of the best films of the year, and Bana gives the performance of a lifetime.

I want to start by saying that I hate gangster movies. I thoroughly dislike being asked to identify with murderers and criminals and to treat organised criminals as "anti-heroes". With this in mind I was quite surprised to find that I really enjoyed "Chopper".

As previous reviewers have said, this is essentially a character study rather than a story. The reason it works so well is that Mark Brandon Read is a compelling character beautifully impersonated by Eric Bana. Anyone who's ever seen an interview with Read himself can appreciate what a close impersonation Bana achieves; his sudden guffawing laugh and light-hearted way of talking about his really unpleasant deeds being perfectly copied. The movie manages to do what I'm sure Read himself has achieved in real life - it tricks you into liking him before revealing that his hair-trigger temper and propensity for paranoia and violence make him a dangerous person to be around. The thing that keeps you watching is Chopper's jovial nature but also his unpredictability. In circumstances where other gangsters would have gone on a killing spree, Chopper just shrugs and takes it in his stride. But likewise, in throughly innocuous circumstances, his paranoia can kick in at any moment and send him on a violent outburst.