Chopper: Film Review

"Chopper" stars Eric Bana as famous Australian author and former convicted felon Chopper Read. This is a really cool dark comedy with a performance by Bana that's just great. I thought he embodied the spirit of a wacky criminal very well. I've never seen him play a bad guy that I can remember, and this is actually one of his better roles.

The story is Read sitting in his jail cell taking us through his life up to that point. While he doesn't break the fourth wall and talk directly to the camera/audience, he does escort us all the same by way of an interview being shot for TV.

We follow him through his random and extremely violent prison life where he can literally get away with murder by being an exceptional liar. About halfway through the film Read is released. His violent ways continue only this time they're arguably worse because he's working as an informant for the police and believes this job is a free ticket to do whatever he wishes to whomever he wishes.

I don't know how much of the story is true, but any amount of it being true coupled with the fact that this cat is out of jail and living as a hugely successful author is fairly remarkable...and a bit terrifying. I enjoyed the comedy and the quick pace of the film. Bana's great, and that's about all I have to say.