Bronson is held together as much by Refn’s deft directorial hand as the bombastic, unhinged performance of lead man Tom Hardy who became a mountain of muscle for the role.  With this impressive musculature, it would seem as if wardrobe would have to resort to outfitting Hardy a la the Hulkster in Mr. Nanny.  But these are Brits, after all, so bring out the tailors!

Two-toned forest green three piece suit.  The jacket’s not an oversized mess, the pants fit like a charm.  There’s no god-awful Wall Street/finance guy bootcut action going on here.  On top of that check out the sweet oxblood valise Hardy’s got going on.  I doubt anyone leaving prison’s ever looked so dashing.  Check the gallery for a closer look.

Another suit look from the film has Hardy in a black wool(?) three-piece that’s pure Savile Row.  The fit of the vest and the jacket, the collar of the button-down, all are reminiscent of venerable British designers Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood; or an up-and-comer like Oliver Spencer.  Add in the little details like the watch chain and the simple pocket square (and the face paint), and you’ve got a pretty spectacular outfit.  What could’ve slipped into train conductor shtick is instead just a great ensemble.

Let’s not forget, though, that this is a movie set in and about prison.  Costume designer Sian Jenkins forgoes the prison jumpsuit, instead infusing the prison scenes with a traditional/workwear vibe that’s been all the rage with younger designers in the States in accordance with the ongoing movement towards Americana.

The above two pictures feature pieces reminiscent of a pair of Brit designer Nigel Cabourn trousers.  Or check out Hardy’s sweatshirt–a dead ringer for this simple offering from Acne.  Then onto the jacket Matt King has on, and the workshirt featured above.  Someone should check if workwear obsessed Japanese brand Haversack cut some sort of deal with Refn.

Although Bronson has an overload of testosterone, there’s still room for the ladies.  For example, Bronson’s love interest (played by Juliet Oldfield) looks downright elegant in this McQueen-ish blouse.

Add to that this outfit on Oldfield that looks like a double for one of those ubiquitous American Apparel ads and you’ve officially run quite the spectrum throughout the film, from classic British suits to American/British-styled workwear, couture to hipster-city.

It only makes sense that Bronson runs such a gamut of styles.  The movie itself is a bombastic, complicated showcase of a great actor and director examining the life of a career criminal from stints in prison and the insane asylum, a career fighting men and animals for money, and ultimately prison again.

Even if the clothes weren’t impeccably chosen and designed, like last week’s entry Le Samouraï, the film’s worth checking out anyways.  Hardy and Refn make quite the team.

Check out the gallery for a variation on Terry Richardson’s creepy uncle glasses, Hardy’s paisley tie (which manages not to be absolutely garish), Illesteva style shades, and just for kicks, a jumpsuit.

The current collection from Oliver Spencer caught my eye this morning, and I think it definitely has some pieces worth mentioning. The jackets and blazers are really well done, and they should give all the people who didn’t get their Comme des Garcons for H&M trench hope for a better day.

Thanks to The Fashionisto for the images.