Richard (Paddy Considine) has an axe to grind. The military veteran has grown out his beard and returned to his hometown. He is saddled with his disabled brother, Anthony (Toby Kebbel) as he extracts revenge against the thugs who brutalized him. His response can be summed up by Ghengis Khan who stated “I am the punishment of God...If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.”
Dead Man's Shoes is an English revenge film. Like, Death Wish, the film features a lead character who stands up to thuggery without blinking. While the revenge aspects of the film may call to mind a host of other similar stories, this film offers a stronger ending. Everything isn't as it appears to be, allowing for an excellent plot twist to tie together the weaker elements (flat characters, predictability, linear plot line). The dialogue was good, but difficult to understand with heavy dialects.
Paddy Considine handled his role well. He doesn't really look hardened, but his unflinching delivery created an unsettling credibility that added depth to his character. His was the only character with depth. The rest of the cast did not add much to their already non-descriptive roles. Beyond Considine and Kebbel, the acting was horrible. It looked like a bunch of guys shooting a film in their garage.
The artistic aspects of the film attempted to make up for the tepid performances and weaker characters. An excellent soundtrack added dimension to cinematography that artistically framed the pastoral English landscapes. The film was best when no one was talking. At ninety minutes, I was surprised to find that the film lagged at times. The sluggish pacing was offset by decent suspense. The special effects were average, at best. That was an area where the tight budget was evident.
Dead Man's Shoes was unrated. The film featured intense violence and strong language, which may disturb younger viewers. The film also included a disturbing sex scene which with mild nudity. Drugs were a major underlying theme, as well. The violence constituted the stuff nightmares are made of, so beware with a pre-teen audience.
Director Shane Meadows managed to eke out decent quality with a budget of under two million US dollars. While the acting and characters left a lot to be desired, the feel of the film had a polished look at that price point. The film is far from B-film quality.
Dead Man's Shoes takes an overused theme (revenge) and adds a twist. The film lags at times, but features a great soundtrack combined with exceptional cinematography. The thick accents make the dialogue difficult to understand. There are a couple of strong performances offset by mostly bad ones. The film is a worthwhile distraction, but not one to seek out. 6.5/10.
