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Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Ned Dennehy, Paul Popplewell ... see more see more... , Sally Carman , Samuel Bottomley , Sian Breckin , Jag Sanghera , Mike Fearnley , Paul Conway , Lee Rufford , Robin Butler , Craig Considine , Robert Haythorne , Archie Lal , Fiona Carnegie , Julia Mallam , Chris Wheat

Joseph (Peter Mullan) is an unemployed widower with a drinking problem, a man crippled by his own volatile temperament and furious anger. Hannah (Olivia Colman) is a Christian worker at a charity shop... read more read more..., a respectable woman who seems wholesome and happy. When circumstance brings the pair together, Hannah appears as Joseph's guardian angel, tempering his fury and offering him warmth, kindness and acceptance. As their relationship develops, Hannah's own secrets are revealed - her husband (Eddie Marsan) is violent and abusive - and Joseph emerges as her unlikely savior. With striking performances and a deeply felt story, actor-turned-writer/director Paddy Considine's film is a stunning debut about the emergence of grace and redemption from the least likely of places. -- (C) Strand Releasing

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Unrated, 1 hr. 31 min.

Directed by: Paddy Considine

Release Date: November 18, 2011

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DVD Release Date: April 3, 2012

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Flixster Reviews (478)

  • MrMarakai
    May 23, 2012
    MrMarakai
    Paddy Considine made a name for himself with dynamic performances in director Shane Meadows' British, working-class drama's "A Room For Romeo Brass" and "Dead Man's Shoes". Those were two great films that benefited from his intense input. Now, as a director himself, he makes his ... read moredebut behind the camera and adds another fine addition to the realism and style he's accustomed to acting in.
    Joseph (Peter Mullan) is a widower living on a housing estate and prone to fits of uncontrollable rage. One day, in a charity shop, he meets devout Christian, Hannah (Olivia Colman), who offers to pray for him. Hannah has her own problems at home though, as she is being physically and emotionally abused by her husband James (Eddie Marsan). Joseph offers to help her, in return for her kindness, and allows her to take refuge with him but the consequences of violence still linger despite the chance of redemption.
    When British cinema is afforded the best of it's talents, it can deliver some very hard-hitting drama's. This can be included amongst the finest of recent years, or any year for that matter. It's raw, emotional storytelling, anchored by excellent central performances; Peter Mullan has rarely been better as a damaged and brutal man, full of inner rage and Eddie Marsan is perfect as an abusive and cowardly creep. It's Olivia Colman - who's better known from the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost TV comedy show "Spaced" - that's the real revelation though. She is absolutely superb. Going on this evidence, Colman thoroughly deserves more dramatic roles in future. It's quite simply, one of the finest female performances from 2011. Speaking of which, could somebody please explain why this was, yet another, quality drama with searing performances, that was omitted when the Academy awards were being dished out? Proof, yet again, that films of this type are so often overlooked across the pond. Thankfully though, Considine and Colman recieved Bafta's for their outstanding work. Having already proved his writing potential with "Dead Man Shoe's" this is another powerful drama that augers very well for Considine's writing and directing future. If he continues to deliver work like this, he can consider himself amongst the great UK auteurs like Ken Loach and Mike Leigh.
    A stark and depressingly ferocious film that also has heart and a real sense of hope. Like most films of this type, it can be difficult viewing but also worth it. British, working-class "Kitchen-sink" drama's have rarely been better.
  • mumby1988
    May 20, 2012
    mumby1988
    One of the most special things that can happen to a film fan is to be completely side-swiped by a film that we expected little of or knew nothing about. Most of the time the surprise is a pleasant one, the kind of surprise that comes from finding a funny comedy or a good action m... read moreovie that no-one else has seen. But with Tyrannosaur, the debut film from actor Paddy Considine, the experience is much more harrowing, leaving you nothing short of completely raw.

    The obvious and rather trite thing to do at this point would be to draw up Alfred Hitchcock's old quote that actors should be treated like cattle, issue a half-hearted warning about the perils of actors getting behind the camera, and then patronise Considine for having done so well. But the fact is that he has really done his homework, having learned much from his collaborations with Shane Meadows. If one had to draw a comparison, it is probably closest to Dead Man's Shoes in its brutal violence and unconventional depiction of revenge. But Tyrannosaur is more than Shane Meadows-lite: it stands like its main character, alone and deeply terrifying.

    When Roger Ebert reviewed the film, he remarked that "this isn't the kind of movie that even has hope enough to contain a message. There is no message, only the reality of these wounded personalities." He couldn't have put it better. Tyrannosaur is a film which draws no quarter, offering no answers, let alone easy ones, to the problems faced by its characters or the society that produced them. Hope, optimism, sentimentality, generic conviction - any way out is refused, dismissed as impossible and out of reach. Even calling it nihilistic feels too straightforward.

    Tyrannosaur is something of a rarity in today's filmmaking culture: the product of someone doggedly determined to do it their way. Just as the characters do not resolve their problems with a feel-good ending, or laugh them off with a smile, so you get the sense of Considine really putting his foot down at every stage of production, resisting the urge to bow to commercial pressure or retreat to the comfort zone of convention. At a time when films are increasingly not just written but directed by committee, his determination is commendable even before we examine the film artistically.

    The film is completely unapologetic in its realistic depiction of violence. The carnage on show is not the balletic bloodbaths of Sam Peckinpah or high-end comic book films like Kick-Ass. Instead it is as real and as horrible as Kill List, earning its 18 certificate in the first five minutes. At certain moments, such as the killing of dogs at either end of the film, the camera turns away, mirroring our flinching and repulsion at what unfolds. By starting with something so horrible, we are forced to confront these characters and their problems head on, with no safety net and no way out.

    Tyrannosaur is a film about three deeply damaged people, all searching for a form of release or redemption while feeling all the time that they are either unworthy of it, unable to attain it, or alienated by what society expects of reformed characters. Joseph (Peter Mullan) is desperate to get out of his spiral of self-destructive rage, but is so far gone that he increasingly knows no other way to live. He picks fights with the boys in the pub, kicks his dog and bashes his shed because he is at a loss of what else to do.

    Hannah (Olivia Colman) is a kind and compassionate woman who is assaulted and abused by her husband James (Eddie Marsan). He protests that the way he reacts isn't the real him, and yet his jealousy and possessiveness manifest themselves in horrendous ways, from urinating on her while she sleeps to beating her up and raping her. Hannah struggles to reconcile her faith to the harsh realities of her life - there is nothing cosy in her position as a Christian.

    What makes Tyrannosaur so rewarding is that it keeps wrong-footing us. It doesn't do this in the manner of Super, which kept serving up misjudged or awkward moments on account of not knowing what it really was. But its choice of character developments throw us off the scent, reinforcing the film's desire to reflect life as it is rather than offer hope of how it should be. Our two main characters don't end up together, or take the young boy into their care. The film is closest to The Arbor in its reams of ambiguity, as we are left wondering how well the characters really knew each other, or how much they even cared for each other.

    It is also refreshing to see religion, and more specifically religious faith, depicted in a manner which is utterly free of caricature. Perhaps no British film since Whistle Down the Wind has approached the issue of personal belief with such a steady hand, resisting the urge either to unconditionally accept it or, more commonly, dismiss it as empty, irrational or a waste of time.

    The film depicts how hard it is to be a Christian without falling into the trap of many modern Christians, who foolishly claim to being persecuted in 'their own country'. Hannah is by no means perfect, being just as capable of violent outbursts as Joseph is. She is only in control when James is not around to torment her, and while she feels drawn to helping Joseph it is never clear how comfortable she is being around him. Joseph may start and remain a cynic - there is no moment on the road to Damascus for him. But the release of emotion in the charity shop, and his kindness towards Hannah, suggests some kind of spiritual impulse, even if he refuses to acknowledge it.

    In hindsight it was good that Tyrannosaur was helmed by someone with acting experience, because the film depends so strongly on the three main characters being completely believable. And Considine delivers on all three, directing with passion and integrity. Peter Mullan is great, possessing so much texture and nuance in his face and managing to appear threatening without simply making us run for cover. His is a compelling threat, and we are drawn to it like moths to a flame.

    Eddie Marsan is rapidly corning the market in threatening supporting roles, turning in a performance up there with his menacing turn in Philip Ridley's Heartless or his neurotic driving instructor in Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky. Most striking, however, is Olivia Colman, who is quite simply a revelation. Having gotten used to seeing her in mother hen-type roles in shows like Peep Show and Green Wing, we are completely unprepared for the emotional range and depth of this performance. At the very least she doesn't just let the make-up do the acting for her in the difficult scenes: she is constantly working hard and deserves every accolade she has received.

    Considine's direction in Tyrannosaur feels meticulous without being overbearing. He has made clear in several interviews that the film is in no way autobiographical, and it makes sense therefore for the film to lack a particular visual stamp in the way that Meadows' works might. The film still looks amazing, with gritty cinematography from Submarine's Erik Wilson and very good compositions on the part of Considine. But running through everything is a resistance to design: the camera is there to observe, not to judge or create an impression of reality.

    Tyrannosaur is a gripping and gut-wrenching debut, and one of the best films of 2011. Its completely lack of visual or narrative compromise will be a test of viewers' mettle, but like Kill List it earns the right to be this brutal, being horrible and repulsive in all the right ways and for all the right reasons. Considine has the makings of a great actors' director, creating three compelling characters within a genuine piece of cinema. It is an extraordinary first feature film which lingers long after its final frame.
  • blacksheepboy
    May 5, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    The two main characters are downright unbearable and it is irritating to see how they are so pathetic and self-destructive dealing with their conflicts. Besides, the film wants to shock the audience to create pathos, when clearly it has no direction and apparently nothing to say.
  • fb100001050230219
    November 30, 2011
    fb100001050230219
    Paddy Considine's first feature film is an incredibly raw and riveting piece of cinema. Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan give superb performances. Colman in particular, is heartbreaking as a very troubled woman. ''Tyrannosaur'' deals with themes like redemption in a b... read morerutal way, but it manages to warm your heart by the end. It's a touching story, though a tough one too. It's a very strong multiple character study.
  • SirPant
    October 14, 2011
    SirPant
    Devastatingly brutal but heartwarming and even a little uplifting. For a debut that's a pretty impressive contrast to achieve but achieve it he does, quite brilliantly too. Paddy Considine is an actor I really rate but now he's a director to look out for, although it is his writi... read moreng that is most impressive here. Peter Mullan is another man you can trust, both in front and behind the camera as it happens, he's brilliant here in the lead role. I've always liked Olivia Colman too, I'm really glad she's moved from TV comedy to serious acting, she's clearly more than capable. Best director, best actor and best actress at the sundance film festival this year, do you need me to recommended it to you? Although, don't expect to laugh/smile or be comfortable during the best part. Believe me though, it's worth every minute of discomfort. Don't expect any dinosaurs either, my other half nearly didn't come to see it with me because she didn't like Jurassic Park!
  • c0up
    June 16, 2011
    c0up
    'Tyrannosaur'. Two destructive personalities?one less inwardly so than the other, but to far greater consequences?find some semblance of peace through each other.

    Fine performances from both leads, and great little moments of humour to break up the bleak tone of the film, espec... read moreially the explanation of the name, 'Tyrannosaur'!

    A day later, in retrospect, I do question whether Joseph's violently destructive motivations and character were sufficiently conveyed to the user. Did I miss something, or did he get this way just because [and I don't mean this lightly] he lost his wife? If so, the message seems to be about glamourising rage in Joseph's case, for no real just cause, whereas at least Hannah garnered some level of sympathy and was almost driven to it.
  • gator681
    November 26, 2011
    gator681
    Written and directed by Paddy Considine, "Tyrannosaur" starts with Joseph(Peter Mullan) out on another bender, except this time, without thinking, he kicks his dog who dies shortly thereafter. He buries him in his yard next to the shed where he resides, long after his late wife ... read morehad banished him there. On another afternoon, he goes drinking again, gets into a fight and ends up in the fetal position in a thrift store where Hannah(Olivia Colman), the store clerk, prays for him. At the end of the day, she has a glass of wine while waiting for her husband James(Eddie Marsan) to come home. When he does, she is asleep on the couch. After attempting to wake her, he urinates on her before going upstairs.

    There are fewer higher cinematic pleasures than watching Peter Mullan, one of the best actors around, fully inhabit a character like Joseph, who is simultaneously reckless, unhinged and complex. And Eddie Marsan who has played his share of villains finds a new direction for the one he plays here. On the other hand, "Tyrannosaur" cannot be considered fun in any sense of the word as it contains all manner of abuses to humans, animals and other sentient life forms. But there are more subtle forms of behavior that are just as dehumanizing which is how the title comes into play. While there is just a sliver of hope presented in places, the movie is not exactly kind towards religion but we take no comfort in the revelations of Hannah's domestic life. There is a twist at the end which does little harm to the movie and does make sense. Anything that it robs from the movie says more about us than anything else here.
  • moviewaffle
    October 23, 2011
    moviewaffle
    With his directorial debut, Considine seems to have invented a new genre - the "Northern". Like all great westerns the protagonist here is an antihero with a violent past. The dust and heat of the American West however are replaced with the smog and rain of Northern England.
    Wh... read moreen we first meet Mullan's bitter angry Scot he is kicking his dog to death. This is followed up with a scene of him racially abusing Post Office staff before bricking their window. Amazingly, an hour of screen time later and we're rooting for him. After hiding out in Colman's charity shop to avoid a beating, he reluctantly becomes involved in her life and discovers she is the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her husband Marsan. Their relationship is established brilliantly with Marsan urinating over Colman as she pretends to sleep. The next morning they small-talk like an everyday couple while Colman struggles to get the urine stains out of their couch.
    Everytime you think this film is headed in a cliched direction it takes a sudden shocking detour. Compare this to a similarly themed film like "Gran Torino" and you'll see how easily it could have ended in mediocrity.
    The acting in this is superb, Mullan is perfectly cast as the sort of guy we cross the road to avoid, Colman plays her victimised wife brilliantly, it's impossible not to want her to get revenge. Ned Dennehy is an Irish guy whose entire career has been spent playing odd looking bit parts. Here he gets a meaty supporting part as a pathetic yet likable acquaintance of Mullan.
    In 1997 Gary Oldman made the brilliant and similar "Nil By Mouth" but sadly hasn't directed anything since. Hopefully Considine won't wait so long.
  • fb6025506
    June 20, 2011
    fb6025506
    Dreary, raw and depressing, actor Paddy Considine's directorial debut TYRANNOSAUR is a pessimistic drama revolving around two characters who each have serious issues on their own but who seek solace in each other - Joseph (Peter Mullan) is a walking boiling pot about to burst an... read mored Hannah (Olivia Colman) is burdened by a loveless marriage as well as her ruthless and unpredictable husband (Eddie Marsan). The performances in the film are natural and tender, brutal and devastating: Mullan makes it hard for us to sympathize with the violent Joseph yet we still try; Marsan's husband is a scary mix between human and monster as he keeps us on our heels and begs to be loathed; finally, Colman invests herself so deep into Hannah that she not only invites but immerses us into a character in which the person's emotional instability becomes ours as well. Although it is both slow-paced and uneasy to sit through, TYRANNOSAUR is nevertheless a gem to watch for the sheer intensity emoted by its strong cast.
  • ryguy4738
    May 26, 2012
    ryguy4738
    **** out of ****

    Paddy Considine is a very good actor, and apparently a hell of a director as well. "Tyrannosaur" marks his feature debut at the helm, and what an impression it leaves. The film is brutal, unrelenting, mournful, depressing, hopeless, and tough all over. It does... read more not sugarcoat any of its themes as it refuses to divert from realism. One could even say that it is grounded in that particular world. But this is good, because a movie like this requires believability; and while most directors might have whipped out the cinematic spice to give their very own slice-of-life narrative some extra punch, Considine decides to show it how it is, for all it is. Something tells me that a lot of Hollywood's dramatic "talents" could learn a thing or two from the man. He seems to have a firm grasp on what makes human drama effective and how to properly develop his characters over time. Even more impressive is the fact that he is working from entirely original material; aside from taking whatever he can from the harsh reality that he faces and delivering it to us on a silver platter. But artistically speaking, this story hasn't quite been told before; and if it has, not only do I want to be told immediately, but I also want to be reassured that it hasn't been told like it is here.

    Peter Mullan gives one of the most chilling and overbearing performances of 2011 as Joseph; widow, alcoholic, possibly psychopath. His establishing scene makes for one of the saddest movie moments of last year or any year at all; in which Joseph is thrown out of a bar and in a drunken rage gives his pet dog a kick in the rib that sends the poor animal to doggie heaven almost immediately. He then carries it home and digs a grave in his backyard, where he buries this old friend. Joseph spends every day either drinking, destroying his shed, letting loose profanity at a rapid and plentiful pace, or struggling to both get out of bed and refrain from endangering those around him. He is an angry man; not clean-shaven, balding, aging, somehow still surviving. He hates the world and the world hates him. Joseph's only family member is bed-ridden and dying. The rest have abandoned him; and his only friends are the fellow bar-dwelling drunks who share his disgust for the people that surround him. It is heavily implied that he could be self-destructive, but why not?

    Joseph comes across a small charity shop not far from his house, run by a woman named Hannah (Olivia Colman). At first, they don't seem to identify with one-another at all; Hannah is very kind and religious - even stopping to pray for both Joseph and his ill father - and Joseph is cynical and violent. But as the story progresses, we learn that this is merely a mask. After a day of smiling at customers and taking it as easy as she can, Olivia returns home to a sadistic husband (Eddie Marsan) who says she "fucks like a dead animal" and will sometimes beat her, prompting the poor woman to arrive at work the next day with a black eye. Her most common excuse is that she fell. She tells this to Joseph and he doesn't seem to believe such a tall tale for one moment. But the tragedy of these two tortured souls makes way for a shared connection between the two, something that one person sees in the other that they both find kind of relatable. One is simply better at hiding their demons than the other.

    For a while, we wonder why Joseph is so angry at everything and everyone. Eventually, the source is somewhat revealed, although I was not entirely convinced that this one thing could contribute to such uncontrollable ferocity. Perhaps it is an accumulation of that - which I will not name - and all the other things I have mentioned thus far. Life is kinder to some people than it is to others, and Joseph is simply among those others. He lives in a neighborhood that is uncompromising and filled with cruel and vile souls (including a man with a barking dog who harasses his young son and frightens his wife), drinks the ever-so-strong but self-sacrificing drink, and cannot let go of what he has lost in life. Negativity is his cross to bear. And at first, Hannah appears to be some sort of savior; although Considine makes it very clear that he has no intention of going in this direction. Instead, he would rather explore the character's problems and let the two work it out both together and within themselves, where the best kind of resolution often occurs. But these things cannot be accomplished without help.

    I've seen a few films in which Mullan has played a small, supporting role; but Joseph is the sort of character that allows him to shine as a merciless dramatic performer. The film in a whole is not a particularly pleasant experience, and while Considine's overall filmmaking techniques that range from taut suspense to bleak depictions of broken down North England neighborhoods certainly contribute to the mood, Mullan's acting expertise prove to be the heart and soul of the picture and its rather grand success. Then there's Olivia Colman, who I only know from another British production - the hilarious cop/buddy comedy "Hot Fuzz" -. She really surprised me here, only having known her from that one movie. Of course, "Tyrannosaur" and "Hot Fuzz" are two very different films, but I don't really see anything in common between the Colman performances in either film, when I put them side-by-side. But maybe that is - in itself - the magic and charm of the performance and the performer. These are two very diverse and talented actors who should have been recognized by the Academy for their brave work in this film.

    You probably won't enjoy watching "Tyrannosaur". I know I didn't. It's one of the coldest, meanest, and saddest movies I have ever had the pleasure - or displeasure - to see (or rather, endure). But if you can get through the entirety of it, there is an impressive reward to be found at the end. No, it isn't a message - the only one I can think of here is the familiar "life sucks and then you die" spiel - but rather an aftertaste, and whether you like the film or not isn't going to matter at this point. The film is going to leave you feeling something; whether it's emptiness, fulfillment, a tear rolling down your cheek, or a sense of emotional isolation. In all honesty, Considine's film made me feel all of those things, and more. Joseph is an identifiable cinematic anti-hero in the vein of Travis Bickle and Norman Bates; we know his pain, we would love to just lash out at material things like he does, but we have self-control, something he lacks. The real tragedy is that Joseph was damned at birth; however many he went through, figuratively, in life.

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Critic Reviews

Ty Burr
March 1, 2012
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The movie is cruelly frank about the ways damage cascades down to the powerless, but while it's not for the fainthearted (or for animal lovers), rewards are there. Full Review

Rick Groen
January 27, 2012
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

The principals are superb, with Mullan and Colman doing a masterful job of inhabiting their separate but equal prisons. Full Review

Peter Howell
January 26, 2012
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

You won't find two finer performances in recent times than those by Mullan and Colman, who in a perfect world would each have received Oscar nominations this week. Full Review

Ben Sachs
December 1, 2011
Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader

Paddy Considine's first feature as writer-director comes off like a playwriting exercise, with familiar characters taking every opportunity to wage messy, cathartic arguments or exhume traumatic memor... Full Review

Michael Phillips
December 1, 2011
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The acting - particularly the moving performance of Olivia Colman as a battered spouse living in a grim corner of Leeds, England - is fierce and committed. So why doesn't its impact linger? Full Review

Roger Ebert
December 1, 2011
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This isn't the kind of movie that even has hope enough to contain a message. There is no message, only the reality of these wounded personalities. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
November 19, 2011
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

If only Considine was not so intent on trying to shock us. He succeeds at that, all right - but in doing so he fails his film. Full Review

Kyle Smith
November 18, 2011
Kyle Smith, New York Post

True, the stars are very good at what they do, but so what? Full Review

William Goss
November 18, 2011
William Goss, Film.com

Like a bruise, black and blue and more deeply felt than it initially seems. Full Review

Peter Rainer
November 18, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

The performances carry the film and occasionally lift it beyond its kitchen-sink lower-depths doldrums. Full Review

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    • Hannah: God loves you. You're God's child.
    • Joseph: God ain't my fucking daddy, my daddy was a cunt. He knew he was a cunt. God still thinks he's God. No-one's told him otherwise.
    • Hannah: I feel safe with you.
    • Joseph: Nobody's safe with me.
    • Joseph: What happened to you?
    • Hannah: I fell over.
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