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| Chopper By Adapadz |
| "So we're all sitting here, all very cosy, and I'm thinking, you know what Mark 'Chopper' Reid is like, you've heard the word on the street, right? And I can't help but think that I'm a bit of a bloody disappointment to you." Great Oz crime drama about the life and trials of one of their countries most recent notorious criminals Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. The movie, told in flashback, shows us the young Reads dealing whilst inside prison on numerous sentences all the way through to Australia’s biggest court case blunder. |
| Comedian Eric Bana, now known to everyone as the Hulk, plays ‘Chops’ as a media hungry show off with a menacing sincerity. At the very start of the film he stabs a fellow inmate and then immediately apologizes for his actions. The inmate dies soon after but Chopper gets avoids a death warrant by cutting off his ears. Chopper seems to be a man not wanting to be forgotten so he plays up to the media bragging about his actions. The film claims from the start that the film is not a bio-epic of Reads life, just extracts of events from his book. During the commentary on the DVD Chopper rarely denies or brags about any of his actions. He holds his cards close to his chest. |
| A lot of action takes place in ‘’ then now infamous night club where so much ‘trouble’ went down. Many people visit there solely for the purpose of being where Chopper once was, it’s kind of like the Capone cell at Alcatraz. The film questions the media’s fascination with violence very much like Stone’s ‘Natural Born Killer’ but holds the emphasis on humour more so than irony and shock tactics. Andrew Dominik wrote and directed the movie keeping the fine line of violence and dark comedy close to each other, just enough for it to work. In my opinion the film is neither glorifying or idolizing Chopper and his actions like many critics claim. |
| Critics said Chopper is played with a cool, sophisticated charm hard to resist which is half right, but with the interview near the end of the movie, I certainly knew the man wasn’t half right in the head and I for one wouldn’t be copying his lifestyle. The paranoia and schizophrenic actions of Chopper make him a scary and unpredictable human being but, like a car crash, he’s one character you won’t want to take your eyes off. Bana is a great actor and his performance in this shows that sometimes comedians can play serious roles, they always seem to make good character actors. Wonder how and why? Great film, worth more than one viewing, also a rather grand DVD. [region 2] "...a top fella, but get your ears off mate...whatever happened to method acting?" – Reid on Bana |
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