Tyrannosaur ———————————7/10
Directed and Written by Paddy Considine, Starring Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan
Fandango Synopsis - An angry, violent alcoholic finds respite with a devout woman whose husband abuses her.
Positives - Tyrannosaur gives you a focused, unflinching look at a world most people don’t even want to consider. Many of those who inhabit this world have had their lives crumble long ago and are just hanging on with alcohol as their solace. It’s an ugly, primitive world of violence well depicted. I like that it doesn’t shy away from the brutality these people live with.
Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman both give strong performances. Peter Mullan’s Joeseph is one of the scariest characters I’ve ever seen in a film. He’s has no control over his temper and when he snaps he’s capable of some horrifying things. He just stumbles around with seemingly no purpose or will. Over the course of some great scenes and his chance meeting and odd friendship with Olivia Colman’s Hannah, Joseph does gain some purpose and will to live. He may be a hard character for many to embrace due to some awful things he does, but I felt for him and think that has much to do with Mullan’s performance.
As good as Mullan was, it was Olivia Colman who stole the film. She plays a sweet, loving, religious woman in a terrible marriage who tries all she can, often to her disasterous detriment, to see the good in even the most awful people and actions. She radiates the love that is lacking in the rest of the people in her life. The things she endures makes you nauseous, but the believability of her performance helped make it special. She is fantastic and her character’s journey takes a wildly unexpected turn.
I liked the lesson Joseph had to learn, which is one many people don’t immediately grasp. He, in his poor, drunken, shit existence is of the belief that those who on the exterior appear to be living comfortably obviously have cushy, easy lives. It’s easy to think you have it worse than others, but Colman’s character, like many women, hide the abuse at great cost to themselves.
Negatives - I didn’t have any major problems with TYRANNOSAUR, but I guess I wish the film had been longer and more time would have been spent between Mullan and Colman’s characters. It ended a little abruptly, but I wasn’t dissatisfied.
Verdict - TYRANNOSAUR is a tough film that isn’t likely to be a comfortable watch for many. It’s brutal subject matter, but feels authentic and is brought to life by two fantastic performances. Peter Mullan is terrifying yet oddly endearing, while Olivia Colman is heartbreaking. I thought both of these characters went on a journey worth examining and I praise first time director Paddy Considine for his unflinching depiction of this world. TYRANNOSAUR is absolutely worth seeing.
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