Richard: [narrating] God will forgive them. He'll forgive them and
allow them into Heaven. I can't live with that.
 |
| Director: Shane Meadows (2004) |
Back
in 2011 I was lucky enough to catch Shane Meadows’ This Is England’ on Channel
4 one afternoon. Needless to say it blew me away with excellent performances
and chilling themes. It’s a surprise even to me why I didn’t search out
Meadows’ other films there and then, a mistake I only rectified recently when I
finally bought and viewed Dead Man’s Shoes, his 2004 revenge thriller. While
not close to This Is England in terms of overall quality, it still remains a competent
and engaging thriller.
Opening
with a super 8 montage of 2 brothers, charting their childhood, we pick up with
the duo in the present day. Richard (Paddy Considine) is a solider returning
from duty in order to get payback on a group of local criminals who abused his
disabled brother Anthony (Toby Kebbell) while he was on tour. Through the use
of black and white flashbacks, we witness the horrendous nature of the films antagonists,
lead by a man named Sonny (Gary Stretch).they’re a bunch of low time crooks and
petty drug dealers, as an audience we’re made to hate them profusely, and its
moments like these that make Dead Man’s Shoes difficult, almost overbearing to
watch. While it is highly uncomfortable, it does its job in giving the audience
the same burning desire that Richard possesses to get even.
Within
a short space of time, DMS centres on Richard as he begins his revenge. The
performance here is strong, and Considine imbues his character with an uneasy
edge; a loaded gun that could erupt in a seconds notice. In an early encounter
with drug dealer Herbie (Stuart Wolfenden), he flips out showing a glimpse of
the furious anger he intends to unleash. When the slaughter does begin, Dead Man’s
Shoes is remarkably close to becoming a supernatural horror film. Richards drive
for revenge, the mask he dons and his ability to be one step ahead of his
targets gives him an aura of unpredictability and otherworldliness. The
killings themselves are vicious, but despite their brutality, we revel in the
violence that is lathered on our evil antagonists.
After
maintaining a sharp pace throughout, things slowdown in the final third, a decision
that has a negative effect on the films ending. After such drive and brutality,
it feels very much like a cop out. It’s almost feels as if Meadows didn’t have
an idea on how to conclude, and just decided to finish the film as quickly as
possible. More scenes with Richard and Anthony would have been useful too. What
Meadows has given us is great, but more of it would have worked wonders, as
well as alleviating the films issue of being a little short. So while the flaws
here are quite major, Dead Man’s Shoes is recommended is engrossing,
entertaining and uncompromisingly raw. It doesn’t stand close to This Is
England, but very little does.
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