Tom Hardy: Five Films for Newcomers
Tom Hardy is an instantly recognizable face in today’s pop culture, given his attachment to a number of major franchises and blockbusters (as well as indie films and awards season contenders). That’s somewhat ironic, given his affinity to act with his face being covered in masks, bushy beards, and other obstructions, as well as disguising his voice in extremely singular ways (it can’t just be an American accent in one film, for instance). Today is his birthday, and we’re celebrating five of his greatest achievements, which we can only imagine will be outdated in a few years time. Either way, now is still a good time to honour the Hammersmith actor. Here are five films for newcomers to the works of Tom Hardy.
5. Dunkirk
So Tom Hardy has a few Christopher Nolan films to pick. He’s the suave Eames in Inception, and the main villain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. However, for me, the storyline containing Hardy in Dunkirk is possibly my favourite of both the film and Hardy’s partnership with Nolan. As a pilot running low on fuel in the middle of a dogfight, Hardy’s patient calculations of how to survive carry these battles with the utmost confidence (mostly portrayed simply with his eyes and a muffled voice, too). When we finally get a clear shot of him, he carries both honour and fear all across his gaze.
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
So, the latest Mad Max film is mostly Charlize Theron’s vehicle, but it’s still a film about Mad Max at heart, and Tom Hardy’s reinvention of the Mel Gibson character (or a different character with the same name anyway) is fantastic. He’s mysteriously off, and even when he does say something (not a hell of a lot), you’re wondering what else is on his mind. He’s an unconventional action hero who feels more rough than rugged, and it fits this dystopian world perfectly.
3. Locke
Hardy’s dramatic acting may be taken for granted if you’re unfamiliar with it. How’s a film where he is basically the only performer you see for an hour and a half, with zero barricades blocking his expressions or his voice? That’s what Locke is all about: placing Hardy in a difficult predicament, and letting the then-rising actor do his thing. He’s captivating through and through, in a role that could have easily been butchered by someone who couldn’t hold your attention for that long. His stage expertise truly shines here, as he knows how to do so much with so little.
2. The Revenant
Hardy’s only Academy Award nomination (so far) was given to his role as the monstrous John Fitzgerald in The Revenant. Every second you see this guy, you’ll want to punch him. Even ignoring Hardy’s ability to make this villain completely deplorable, his chameleon transformation into this role is exceptional. Hardy’s always been good at diving into characters, but this is one time where he’s borderline unrecognizable, and it goes beyond the makeup and hair department. His mind boggling shift makes this detestable character a highlight in the entire film; he’s the maximalism to Leonardo DiCaprio’s minimalism.
1. Bronson
Tom Hardy’s big breakthrough — after a series of other films — came in 2008’s Bronson, where Hardy plays, well, the titular Charles Bronson. The infamous criminal seemingly could only be portrayed by Hardy, whose antics and oddball acting personify all of the crazy self-perceptions of Britain’s “most violent prisoner”. Matching Nicolas Winding Refn’s unique style, Hardy made a name for himself as an actor that could basically take on anything, given the subject matter and who he was working with, fulfilling a bonkers — and entertaining — vision of dark comedy and borderline psychological horror.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.