Chopper

Saw Chopper, a film that opens with the assertion that this is not a biography of Mark 'Chopper' Read, a famous Australian criminal. It's a nervy little film. Darkly lit but vibrant with neon and sodium lights. Often the characters are light in garish colors, popping out from the dark backgrounds like garish cartoons. Mark himself is played likeably, with an open demeanor that hides a sinister joviality. We are shown scenes from his perspective and according to his version of events. We are told that he's lying by other characters. It's not clear if he knows that he's lying or if he's really just delusional.

The film is kind of a hagiography on the surface. If you look closer, you can see hints of unreliability in Mark, our narrator. He's a strange guy, one moment coldly gunning someone down and then, as they're bleeding out, will profusely apologise. In his moments of regret he seems sincere, like a likeable guy, but then later he's getting offended for not getting credit for the crime. It throws the whole story into doubt. He's only been convicted one time, but is this because he's such a master criminal or because he's a complete bullshit artist?

The film is cleverly post-modern, making us doubt our own eyes as we see events unfold. The protagonist is supposed to be loveable but comes off as kind of a jerk. I would definitely not get along with him, for what it's worth. An interesting film.