Chopper - Bondiwood 2

2000 94 mins R 18+

Synopsis: 
Chopper tells the intense story of Mark "Chopper" Read, a legendary criminal who wrote his autobiography while serving a jail sentence in prison. His book, "From the Inside", upon which the film is based, was a best-seller.

Notes:
Chopper exploded onto Australian screens in a manner not seen since Mad Max put his keys in the ignition.  “Uncle Chop Chop” brought Australians out in droves.  This was the first film by Andrew Dominick  and the extraordinary mix of very black humour, dynamic characters in a world  grotyy street cred worthy of Scorcese hit the mark like few films every have in this country.  It was topped off by a towering performance by Eric Bana as the Chopper. His gleeful mad stare made audiences glad it wasn’t them he was staring at.  The film was so deeply Australian in its attitude and language one can only imagine it would have needed subtitles overseas.  How do you translate “Don’t be a sook” for Americans.  Or the brilliant change of accepted cinema tropes;  “I’ll give you to the count of five then I’m going to shoot you.” The standard form is for a string of dialogue to take place between each number.  But not here.  Chopper just counts to five really fast and shoots!  Audiences and the victim are totally thrown but this reworking. Wonderful supporting cast and an extraordinary performance by Vince Colosimo as the unforgettable Neville Bartos make this film an memorable experience.

Reviews: 
"This biographical drama about the exploits and prison years of the Australian criminal Mark “Chopper” Read, is a must watch for students of screen acting." - Times