Dead Man's Shoes - Dir. Shane Meadows (2004)

[Psychocandy]

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Dead Man's Shoes is the latest flick by talented UK director Shane Meadows (Twenty Four Seven, A Room For Romeo Brass, Once Upon A Time In The Midlands). It's been likened to a UK version of Death Wish and some comparisons have also been made to Peckinpah's Straw Dogs and there are apparently even elements that hearken back to the brutal slasher movies of the late seventies/early eighties (Halloween, Friday The 13th etc). Starring the brilliant Paddy Considine, this movie has on the back of some very positive reviews leapt to the top of my must see list. Fortunately I don't have long to wait...it's out in UK cinemas on 1st October. Here's a synopsis.

Two brothers return to the home town they left years before. They are close, but very different: Richard is strong and purposeful, Anthony younger, more hesitant. Everything Richard does, Anthony innocently mimics. He is slightly retarded and completely in awe of his brother, who in turn is very protective of him.

They set up camp in the hills overlooking the town, reminiscing over their shared past. But they're not here to reminisce. Richard is here for revenge.

He knows who he wants and he knows where they live. The town he left eight years ago is still run by the same gang of small-time drug dealers and thugs. The threat of his presence is enough to instill suspicion and paranoia. Why is he back? What does he want? Who is he after?

One by one, he tracks them down, striking fear into their hearts and turning them against one another. As the gang falls apart, we learn the terrible truth about what went before and how a brother's love inspired violent retribution.

[Psychocandy]

Here's a review from IOFilm.

IOFILM : FILM : REVIEW


Dead Man's Shoes


Director Shane Meadows
Writer Paddy Considine, Paul Fraser
Stars Paddy Considine, Toby Kebbell, Gary Stretch, Jo Hartley, Seamus O'Neill, Stuart Wolfenden, Paul Hurstfield, Emily Aston, George Newton, Craig Considine, Paul Sadot
Running time 86 minutes
Country UK
Year 2004
Associated shops
Reviewed by Dalawsta

Get Carter set the bar 33 years ago as the ultimate in brother revenge sagas, where honourable intentions are carried out with extreme measures of violence. Shane Meadows, with his latest opus, has muscled into the heavyweight division of the genre with a highly unnerving tale of justice and revenge.

Richard (Paddy Considine) is a soldier back in town to settle a score. Several years earlier, his mentally disabled younger brother Anthony (Toby Kebbell) was unwittingly put at the mercy of a bunch of local potheads and thugs, who, for a few cheap thrills, used him as the butt of sick party jokes.

Starting off quietly, Richard taunts, stares and occasionally explodes in short verbal assaults. One night, after a big substance abuse session with his layabout muckers, Herbie (Stuart Wolfenden) leaves the flat only to be met by a solitary figure in a boiler suit and white gas mask. Scared out his wits, he gathers his mates outside ready to pounce, but by that time Richard in his eerie outfit has been into their flat and redecorated the interior with spray painted threats.

There is a hint of Michael Myers about Richard in his suit. Not only frightening to look at, his eyes mean business. With all the skill and calculation of a chess grand master, he orchestrates every move before eliminating obstacles in his way. To say too much would be to spoil the occasion, but there are twists, turns and horrific blood curdling scenes of carnage.

Considine carries the film. Capricious, yet systematic, brutal, yet moral, he plays a complex character with a single mission in mind.

Told through a series of flashbacks, Anthony’s ordeal is eventually made clear and the motivations for Richard’s venomous acts of revenge become more understandable. This is the film’s strength, the slow unravelling of past events crossing the path of the present.

The violence is heavy going and the atmosphere constantly fraught with a growing sense of foreboding. Meadows has utilized his storytelling ability to its full potential, challenging our moral perceptions, as well as making a pretty decent thriller while he’s at it.

****/*****

[The Heart Collector]

This better not be a "they raped my brother" movie like I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD.

[RavenBlade]

great, this is just great,
It'll be just my luck that
I catch this on dvd because
america will be to lazy to import it to
cinemas.

Let me know your thoughts when you
finally see this Psycho candy.

Raven

[Psychocandy]

Went to see this nasty little flick last Friday (back to back with Saw...good times). Boasting an award worthy central performance courtesy of Paddy Considine and a relentlessly grim atmosphere that is only very seldomly relieved by any form of humour (in fact I can only think of two scenes where I so much as cracked a smile) this had my attention rivetted to the screen from the opening credits on. I could not possibly give Paddy Considine too much credit for his performance here. The guy is, in my opinion, the finest actor working out of Britain today. Besides acting in Dead Man's Shoes he also shares the scriptwriting credit with the director Shane Meadows. He oozes talent. This is one of the best revenge movies i've seen (and i've seen more than my share). Highly recommended. 4.5/5

Oh...and amazing soundtrack btw.

[BadCoverVersion]

I'm going to see this at the weekend...I'm wetting me knicks in anticipation!

I *heart* Paddy Considine

[BadCoverVersion]

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Paddy Considine - currently being hailed as 'The British De Niro' - delivers a career-best performance in Dead Man's Shoes, and that's quite a feat considering the man is probably the finest actor working in the UK today.

He is simply a revelation. Intense, passionate, sincere and menacing...If you squint, you can almost see the raw talent oozing from his very pores.

From the moment he spews just three crass-but-simple words...YOU YA CUNT" you just know he is doing something really, really, REALLY fucking special!

Only yesterday I read a review slamming the 'smaller' performances within this movie. I honestly couldn't disagree more. Paddy SHINES as ex-squaddie Richard - "ENOUGH WOMAN !"I hear ye cry ;) - but the relative unknowns playing both Richard's mentally incapacitated younger brother Anthony and his cruel, grotesque tormenters well and truly NAIL their parts.

What more can I say? Dead Man's Shoes is the buried gem of 2004. It just has it all; dynamic performances, visceral backdrops, a haunting soundtrack and a KILLER opening line...

"God will forgive them for what they have done, and he will allow them into heaven. I can't live with that..."

9.5/10

See it!

[Psychocandy]

Glad you enjoyed it BCV. Knew you would. And we don't even have to wait very long for our next Paddy Considine fix. He's in the quite amazing looking My Summer Of Love and it opens in the next couple of weeks. Got the trailer for it when I went to see Dead Man's Shoes. Looks like it could be a cracker.

[BadCoverVersion]

Originally posted by Psychocandy
Glad you enjoyed it BCV. Knew you would. And we don't even have to wait very long for our next Paddy Considine fix. He's in the quite amazing looking My Summer Of Love and it opens in the next couple of weeks. Got the trailer for it when I went to see Dead Man's Shoes. Looks like it could be a cracker.

I'm already there mate, with a flower in my hair.

It's from Pawel thingummy...director of Last Resort, another beautifully moody low-budget Considine vehicle.

I'm hoping to see some films at the BFI/Times LFF opening next week...Vera Drake, The Incredibles and My Summer Of Love are my top picks.

Paddy doesn't half hit it off with directors man...they just can't seem to get their fill of his seriously fiery goodness.

Oh, and one more thing...

***SPOILER FOR DEAD MAN'S SHOES***
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Did you realise Anthony was dead? Because stone me, I didn't even twig man! The film washed over me...all murky water and salty landscape, and I just didn't think about it.
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***SPOILERS END***