'Tyrannosaur': One star stands out in tale of wounded souls -- 2 stars

Some films pull no punches in their on-screen brutality while pulling all sorts of punches in other ways. Writer-director Paddy Considine's grim yet tidy slice of pain, "Tyrannosaur," serves as this week's example. The film won over many passionate admirers on the festival circuit, and the acting — particularly the moving performance of Olivia Colman as a battered spouse living in a grim corner of Leeds, England — is fierce and committed. So why doesn't its impact linger?

Michael Phillips

December 1, 2011