DEAD MAN’S SHOES

OPTIMUM RELEASING

RELEASED 1 October 2004

I love a good revenge tale. Think ‘Point Blank’ with Lee Marvin, or ‘Death Wish’ with Charles Bronson. Richard (Paddy Considine) returns to the home town he left years before, pleased to be back with his mentally handicapped younger brother Anthony. While Richard was away (handily in the Army), Anthony suffered terrible bullying at the hands of local drug dealers, and now Richard is back, he has revenge on his mind, and he knows exactly who is responsible. It won’t be pretty.

There are some really menacing scenes in ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’, all involving Paddy Considine, who is better than he’s ever been. When he puts an old gas mask on, the aura of an unstoppable horror movie icon is brought to mind. Fear gets most of victims before he even does anything. It is violent, though not too graphic. Even though he does some nasty things, you still side with Richard because of the loving relationship with his brother. Richard is ultimately revealed as a terribly sad person.

This is also a very funny film, with some wonderful ‘comedy’ moments from the hapless, 2CV-driving 'gangsters' being hunted down. Theirs is purely a small-time operation, but they really do have higher-than-in-reality opinions of themselves!

The cinematography is sharp, you’re left wanting more comedy, and Richard’s psychological mind-messing with the criminals is inspired and frigtening. This is definitely Brit director Shane Meadow's best movie.

'Dead Man's Shoes' is a gripping revenge thriller that walks where other films fear to tread.

THREE OUT OF FIVE