Tyrannosaur

Tyrannosaur’s plot explores the tragedies that occur in two people’s lives as they intersect with one another, both reaching boiling points in their tumultuous and tortured existences. Joseph is an alcoholic, a man with a vicious temper whose rage consumes him and eats away at everything around him. Joseph and Hannah cross paths when he is on the run from a fight in a pub and hides in a local charity shop where Hannah works. As the plot develops it becomes clear that Hannah is the victim of horrific domestic abuse and blankets her problems with alcohol and religion. Tyrannosaur is about the bond that forms between these two characters in their hours of need, helping and providing for one another in unexpected ways. Whilst this might all sound a bit clichéd the film manages to avoid such pitfalls through commanding performances, nuanced direction and a masterfully sustained tone of dissolution.

Tyrannosaur sidesteps being another film about addiction or domestic abuse by focusing instead on the decay of the world it’s set in. Joseph’s house is more akin to a tomb, populated by the ghosts and memories of his wife and murdered dog. The family home of Hannah resembles a withered, rotten mockery of domesticity-her husband’s presence a constant source of tension and violence. The Britain of Tyrannosaur is populated by thugs, alcoholics and the scorned. Violence engulfs people’s lives, for instance a subplot of the film details Joseph’s neighbours little boy being bullied by her boyfriend and his vicious dog. The child’s toy is mauled by the dog and left held together in pieces on the floor. The tethered material of the toy seems to operate as an astute metaphor for the characters of Joseph and Hannah, who need to be sewn up and pieced together in the same manner.

Paddy Considine’s directorial debut provides us with a very familiar set up, adopting the social realist/kitchen sink drama style to provide a visceral, gritty and melancholic representation of the underbelly of working class Britain. It is clear that Considine was heavily influenced by long time collaborator Shane Meadows as well as the work of Ken Loach and Mike Leigh in the construction of Tyrannosaur but manages to hold a distinct individuality through the film in the face of its derivations. The script is almost perfectly pitched; dialogue flows naturally and occasionally provides realistic moments of humour between characters which helps to create a genuine feeling of warmth amongst the backdrop of misery. The performances are however what truly steal the show in Tyrannosaur. Peter Mullan plays Joseph with such fierce intensity, managing to convey a character of terrifying rage and deep, disconsolate dissatisfaction simultaneously. Peep Show’s Olivia Colman is utterly compelling, perfectly embodying the conjunctive emotions of fear, desperation, anger and desolation at her appalling situation. Through the strength of performances I was unashamedly reduced to tears at points, expect heavy lumps in throats-this is not an easy watch.

(m8z)

Whilst the script, direction and performances are all top drawer the films soundtrack is unfortunately a tad suffocating and at points really acts as a disservice to the narrative content. The excessive use of acoustic guitar numbers stifled sequences and images that spoke strongly enough for themselves, the attempts to add emotive force through soundtrack just seemed too manipulative and excessive; almost dictating what was/wasn’t poignant. The closing sequence’s use of The Leisure Society’s ‘We Were Wasted’ in particular seemed to smother the text in a layer that wasn’t necessary, ruining what should have been a moment of devastatingly contemplative cinematic gloom.

Tyrannosaur is not without its flaws but is still a very strong piece of work, made all the more impressive through being Considine’s first feature length. This film should rightfully sit alongside other contemporary British kitchen sink masterpieces like Secrets & Lies, Sweet Sixteen and Fish Tank. Strong performances and direction hold this film together, providing a deeply emotive, scary and uncompromisingly jarring experience which is well worth a watch.