I don't quite share in the massively high praise that Dead Man's Shoes has been getting, seemingly across the board. While it is a nice film with some good performances, it's also rather one-note and methodical. The film deals with revenge and it follows the brother of a wronged retard that goes back to the town where his brother was killed in order to get revenge on the men that did it. The story is told in flashbacks, which is then mixed with the brother getting revenge. The themes of revenge and 'the beast in all of us' are well placed and skilfully handled, but the film falls down in it's bid to be a completely successful whole when it comes to the emotion surrounding the situation. It's really difficult to care for any of the characters, and when you've got one of them on a mission to get revenge for being wronged; it doesn't help if you don't really care about him or his situation. It seems that Paddy Considine, actor and writer, thought that the situation itself will get the audience involved on it's own - and it does, somewhat, but not enough for the film to not at least to some extent feel like it's just an excuse for some gritty acting.
Paddy Considine has been compared to the likes of Robert DeNiro, and while I think that's a premature observation; he has shown a willingness to play a range of characters, and you can always count on a dedicated performance from him. This film is rather violent, and this blends well with it's gritty style when it comes to making the film realistic. The way that the various characters meet their doom isn't especially realistic, but it does give Considine a good opportunity to show how mean he can look. Being more used to seeing him in 'nicer' roles, it was good to see him going completely the other way with this film. The atmosphere and tension of the film are right on cue, and you always get the feeling that something bad could happen at any moment. This mostly comes from the fact that bad things do happen through most of the running time. This is where the film falls down; it gets very monotonous quickly, and you pretty much know what's coming before it happens. Sure, the ending holds something of a surprise - but if this had managed to deliver a few more surprises; Dead Man Shoe's praises would be justified.
Paddy Considine has been compared to the likes of Robert DeNiro, and while I think that's a premature observation; he has shown a willingness to play a range of characters, and you can always count on a dedicated performance from him. This film is rather violent, and this blends well with it's gritty style when it comes to making the film realistic. The way that the various characters meet their doom isn't especially realistic, but it does give Considine a good opportunity to show how mean he can look. Being more used to seeing him in 'nicer' roles, it was good to see him going completely the other way with this film. The atmosphere and tension of the film are right on cue, and you always get the feeling that something bad could happen at any moment. This mostly comes from the fact that bad things do happen through most of the running time. This is where the film falls down; it gets very monotonous quickly, and you pretty much know what's coming before it happens. Sure, the ending holds something of a surprise - but if this had managed to deliver a few more surprises; Dead Man Shoe's praises would be justified.