But Michael Peterson turns prison life into a brutal form of performance art, and one that he presumably is the sole practitioner. Changing his moniker to "Bronson", after legendary actor Charles Bronson, he has managed to extend his sentence to over ten times what it originally was and spent most of it in solitary confinement.  But that's exactly where he wants to be, as Bronson views his time behind bars as a kind of artistic expression.

Tom Hardy has done an amazing job immersing himself in the role of Bronson. Shaving his head and adding 35 pounds of muscle to his frame truly shows his dedication to the film. But it's the mental performance, the bizarre sense of sanity he gives to his character. Director Nicholas Winding Refn, who made the woefully underseen and underappreciated "Pusher" films, gives "Bronson" a brutally artful feel. But despite all that, the film overstays its' welcome, even though it clocks at 92 minutes. For a film about a man who wishes to spend life in prison, the most interesting this film could do is release him. As a result, "Bronson" becomes rather predictable--Bronson may be performing an act, but his act grows old.

The 1080p blu-ray gives the film a fairly decent look, although the prison settings don't do the technology justice. There's no deleted scenes on the home video release, but the requisite trailer and making of features are present. The most notable is an interview with the real life Michael Peterson, absent from blu-rays released in England because of legal restrictions. It's fascinating to have a glimpse inside his psychology, a mind that revels in a place most people would do anything to leave.