• Summary: Joseph is an unemployed widower with a drinking problem, a man crippled by his own volatile temperament and furious anger. Hannah is a Christian worker at a charity shop, a respectable woman who seems wholesome and happy. When circumstance brings the pair together, Hannah appears as Joseph’s guardian angel, tempering his fury and offering him warmth, kindness and acceptance. As their relationship develops, Hannah’s own secrets are revealed — her husband is violent and abusive — and Joseph emerges as her unlikely savior. With striking performances and a deeply felt story, actor-turned-writer/director Paddy Considine's film is a stunning debut about the emergence of grace and redemption from the least likely of places. (Strand Releasing) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    Nov 16, 2011
    91
    Considine directs with the confidence of a veteran, giving his actors room to work while letting an ominous, overcast mood hang over almost every scene.
  2. Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    Nov 17, 2011
    60
    Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman give such hard-as-nails, lived-in performances in this stark drama directed by Irish actor Paddy Considine ("In America," "Cinderella Man") that it's impossible not to be pulled in.
  3. Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Nov 18, 2011
    38
    True, the stars are very good at what they do, but so what?

See all 18 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gotta say, this movie was brilliant. But, it hit home for me as well being a domestic violence survivor. I don't often get emotional over movies, this one almost brought some tears. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. Emotional parabolic arcs from start to finish. Genuinely brimming with sadness, fear and pity while being subtly underlined all along with a sense of impending redemption. Characters whom you can easily identify with and even if you they are not to your liking you will find much of yourself in them. As a directorial début it is exceptional in the conveyance of stark reality combined with the constant buzz of anticipation. If you like human tragedy in a slow motion train-wreck then you will most likely love Tyrannosaurus, I did. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. A powerful and raw drama examining troubled, sick souls who cannot harness their abusive behaviour and therefore cannot find their much sought redemption. Olivia Colman brings a pitch perfect performance which is one of the best I have seen for a long time and together with Paddy Considine's directorial debut is definitely worth many accolades. Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes

See all 4 User Reviews

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