Chopper movie review - Aussieboyreviews
IS CHOPPER A VIOLENT AND INTENSE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FILM?
The film is violent, intense, with a very worthy performance from Eric Bana, but it’s just not that interesting. Usually, it’s only Bana’s decent acting skills and the cleverly delivered dark humour that grips onto you.
Storyline
The story of Mark “Chopper” Read, a convicted Australian criminal who wrote his autobiography whilst serving time in prison.
Movie Images
Movie details
Director: Andrew Dominik
Cast: Eric Bana, Vince Colosimo, Simon Lyndon, Kate Beahan, David Field
Writer: Andrew Dominik
Release Date (Australia): 3 August 2000
Runtime: 94 minutes/1h 34m
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Australia
Language: USA
CONTENT GUIDE (warning: May contain spoilers)
The film contains crime themes, prison violence and murder. A man orders another man to cut his ears off and the procedure is graphically depicted.
The film contains scenes in which people are shot and stabbed, accompanied by gory depictions of bloody spray and blood pooling. A man orders another man to cut his ears off, accompanied by close-up depictions of gory injury detail and bloody spurting.
The film includes occasionally aggressive use of the word “c**t”, as well as frequent and aggressive use of the word “f**k”.
There are depictions of strong drug use, including a woman spraying a drug from a syringe into her mouth and men snorting cocaine.
A man pulls his penis out of his unzipped pants and flashes a couple in a bar.
The film contains sexualised use of the word “f**king”.
mpaa rating
R (for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some drug use and nudity)
Aussie boy's thoughts
Eric Bana’s acting skills as one of Australia’s most crazed and notorious criminals is the only thing that saves this unclear, convoluted, autobiographical mess. Chopper is the Australian crime-drama written and directed by Andrew Dominik, that tells the story of Mark “Chopper” Read, which is very interestingly based on his autobiographical book ‘From the Inside’ that he wrote whilst serving time in prison.
Bana proves his abilities in performing as he perfectly delivers the sociopathic madman, who’s so crazy and insane, some enjoyable dark humour benefits from it. The laughs come from the things you never would’ve thought you’d have laughed at in this movie, including the very realistically detailed violence, not saying all of it is funny or intended for black comedy, because some scenes can be absolutely brutal.
The first act of the film spends time with Chopper in prison, making for a very captivating and interestingly detailed introduction worth the 30 minutes it takes its time with, but after that, it just falls off the rails and wanders off in places you don’t get to explore and that you aren’t really absorbed in as well. Although it sticks to Chopper, it can have some attachments to some people you just aren’t interested in. Quite frankly, the film just becomes boring, and the quick fade from act one to two makes it very convoluted.
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