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Tyrannosaur

Paddy Considine's directorial debut is a riveting drama that is frequently and unbearably intense.

Released in cinemas 7th October 2011.

Paddy Considine makes his directorial debut with one of the most powerful films you'll see this year.

Remaining behind the camera, he coaxes a career-best performance out of the already incredible Peter Mullan, and proves there's a lot more to Peep Show star Olivia Colman than brilliant comic timing. Considine's script started life as a BAFTA-winning 2007 short, Dog Altogether, and Mullan and Colman return for a feature-length adaptation of the actor's deeply personal story.

Joseph (Mullan) is a sickening and complex character - he verbally abuses most people who dare to share his breathing space, vandalises property, and lashes out at his beloved pet dog with dreadful consequences. A surprisingly empathetic character emerges from the shocking beginning, as Joseph finds unlikely solace in charity shop worker Hannah (Colman), who gingerly approaches the trembling ball of rage that nestles in the rails of second hand clothing. The first of their meetings is an astutely-written, biting stand-off between the very epitomes of aggression and kindliness; Mullan despises religion, whereas Hannah is devoutly Christian.

Colman is extraordinarily layered as the spiritual, caring woman trapped in a brutally violent marriage to a sinister Eddie Marsan. Her friendship with the coarse, alcoholic Joseph is a meeting of kindred wounded souls, and Colman conveys endless empathy, pain and warmth. She is a remarkable everywoman, full of strength and conviction, and consistently watchable.

Tyrannosaur is a supremely confident piece of work, intimately shot by Erik Wilson (Submarine), and utterly terrifying in its intensity. It only suffers by wallowing in the ugliness of human nature to the extreme. Marsan's James is an absolute monster - one of the most disgustingly abusive husbands seen on screen, and while the sexual violence is either implied or discreetly shot, the impact is lasting. There's also the local dog-wielding thug (Paul Popplewell), portraying the despair and misery of the estate. However, there are flashes of warmth and humanity - a young neighbour (Samuel Bottomley), who sees goodness in the charming way only a child can, and Joseph's drinking buddy Tommy (Ned Dennehy). The bouts of humour are wonderfully morbid - Mullan's delivery is a dream, albeit a disarming one, especially when we learn about the film's title.

Along with the relentless misery, there is a stumbling block with an ending that feels rushed and slightly unstructured, as if the story is wrapped up too quickly. Howeve, after 90 of the longest, hardest minutes of your screen-watching life, this may be a relief. A dark, sensitive and riveting drama that is frequently and unbearably intense, it's worth enduring for the revelatory Colman and Mullan. Proof that Considine is equally compelling as a director, he forges a staggeringly confident debut.

Rating: 8/10