There is a moment in Paddy Constantine's Tyrannosaur where the two main characters confront each other about a major problem they are facing. For the first time the male protagonist sees what he was, what he has failed to do, and what he must do to make things right. It is such a cathartic moment of clarity for him and his female friend, both clarity and horror, and a complete shock for the audience.
Peter Mullan stars in one of the year's best films. He plays a man, Joseph, who suffers from alcohol, loneliness, and worst of all rage. His temper hurts those around him and gets him into more trouble than he can chew. His only friend is dying, the daughter of which hates both him and her dying father. He drinks all day, staggers home at night, and fights anyone who does him wrong, or at least what he calls wrong.
One day he winds up hiding inside a woman's garment shop. She finds him irritable, vulnerable, and extremely volatile. The woman, Hannah (Olivia Colman), does what most of us wouldn't do. She let's him be, offers tea, and prays for him. This confuses Joseph. It's quite evident, but underneath all the testosterone and aggression you can almost see him trying to figure out why she helps.
We soon find out that she is the victim of someone similar to Joseph, only more cruel and abusive than just angry. Her husband James (Eddie Marsan) drinks as well but his temper and need for sex and authority drive him to do awful things to Hannah. Joseph and Hannah strike an unlikely friendship, attempting to find solace in the utter chaos that is life.
Mullan and Colman play off of each other so well. They both need help and want help but don't know how to ask others let alone help themselves. Mullan's character lost his wife to diabetes, though his aggression doesn't stem from that single incident. We don't know everything about him or Hannah but we know their characters have seen a lot and have had to deal with more than your average Joe. Their faces and their voices speak volumes of their back story.
Director Constantine makes his feature debut (he also wrote the script). He shows a gritty and morbid, Irish Landscape, where the beer flows, the skies are rarely bright and sunny, and the nights are filled with barking dogs, violent husbands, and tortured souls crying out. He has developed some really deep, disturbed characters that have significant baggage. The writing is authentic (I'd be curious to find out how much was improvised by Mullan and others, especially during tirades). There is a great deal of heart poured into this film.
There is a good amount of disturbing material here that some people might find offensive. As tough as these scenes and images are to take in I find that they are necessary to tell this type of story. Violence is not pretty, but when done with a certain grace and dedication it can really turn into something special, such is the case with Tyrannosaur.
Peter Mullan stars in one of the year's best films. He plays a man, Joseph, who suffers from alcohol, loneliness, and worst of all rage. His temper hurts those around him and gets him into more trouble than he can chew. His only friend is dying, the daughter of which hates both him and her dying father. He drinks all day, staggers home at night, and fights anyone who does him wrong, or at least what he calls wrong.
One day he winds up hiding inside a woman's garment shop. She finds him irritable, vulnerable, and extremely volatile. The woman, Hannah (Olivia Colman), does what most of us wouldn't do. She let's him be, offers tea, and prays for him. This confuses Joseph. It's quite evident, but underneath all the testosterone and aggression you can almost see him trying to figure out why she helps.
We soon find out that she is the victim of someone similar to Joseph, only more cruel and abusive than just angry. Her husband James (Eddie Marsan) drinks as well but his temper and need for sex and authority drive him to do awful things to Hannah. Joseph and Hannah strike an unlikely friendship, attempting to find solace in the utter chaos that is life.
Mullan and Colman play off of each other so well. They both need help and want help but don't know how to ask others let alone help themselves. Mullan's character lost his wife to diabetes, though his aggression doesn't stem from that single incident. We don't know everything about him or Hannah but we know their characters have seen a lot and have had to deal with more than your average Joe. Their faces and their voices speak volumes of their back story.
Director Constantine makes his feature debut (he also wrote the script). He shows a gritty and morbid, Irish Landscape, where the beer flows, the skies are rarely bright and sunny, and the nights are filled with barking dogs, violent husbands, and tortured souls crying out. He has developed some really deep, disturbed characters that have significant baggage. The writing is authentic (I'd be curious to find out how much was improvised by Mullan and others, especially during tirades). There is a great deal of heart poured into this film.
There is a good amount of disturbing material here that some people might find offensive. As tough as these scenes and images are to take in I find that they are necessary to tell this type of story. Violence is not pretty, but when done with a certain grace and dedication it can really turn into something special, such is the case with Tyrannosaur.