Chopper (2000)
★★★★½ — Chopper (2000)
Andrew Dominik's debut feature, adapted from the books written by Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read himself (a convicted criminal who became something of a folk anti-hero in Australia), arrived at a time when local cinema was searching for a new kind of grit to sit alongside the larrikin comedies that had dominated the decade prior. Shot on a modest budget with much of the action confined to prison interiors and Melbourne backstreets, the production was notable above all for Eric Bana's transformation into Read, a role that turned a TV comedian best known for sketch show Full Frontal into an overnight serious actor. Dominik would go on to direct The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) and Blonde (2022), but this lean, unsettling debut remains the film that announced him.
A-Z World Movie Tour Australia Who else but the notorious Chopper Read? Never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn. What a fantastic film. Eric Bana did a perfect job of portraying Chopper Read. It's probably up there for the best Australian movie ever made with Mad Max 2. It's funny in a dark way and the pacing was absolutely spot on.
Rating: ★★★★½ | Year: 2000 | Watched: 2025-05-25
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Channel 4 Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
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More with Eric Bana: Black Hawk Down (2001)
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More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More crime: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Angst (1983) · Stolen Face (1952) · Cairo Station (1958)
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