The trailer threatens you in a way that you need to see the film. You realise that seeing what you have in the trailer leaves so many things unanswered; it makes you want to investigate what evil thing has occurred. The trouble being for me was that while seducing me with its message it gave to much away, while ensnaring me it made one thing very obvious; and that one thing is the mystery the whole movie is about.
I really enjoy the work of Paddy Considine from A Room For Romeo Brass, to In America; I have followed his career avidly. I'd heard lots of good and bad things about Dead Man's Shoes the one thing I never knew was that it had this highly underused actor in it. Having seen the trailer on the movie 9 Songs I decided to make the purchase £4.99 was all it cost from Play.Com.
Something has happened to Richard's brother Anthony, something so bad Richard and Anthony return to their old home town to get some sort of justice. Richard immediately becomes noticed by the local drug dealer who challenges Richard when he stare it him; Richards response is a foul mouthed outburst that would shake anybody. It's no sooner that Herbie (the drug dealer) has realised that Richard is the brother of Anthony that the first part of the story starts to crack through. As it transpires Herbie is just one part of a small town gang, all of which share parts of the bigger secret. Richard wastes no time at all playing sick mind games bring all the gang members and most particularly the gang boss Sonny kicking and screaming into a game of bloody vengeance.
Richard has been away in
the army and trained to be an ultimate killing machine, however is training was not to be used on enemies of the state but on a home grown enemy within. Richard moves panther like round the town, toying with the gang and its emotions. But when the games stop the killing starts; Richard wants vengeance and only he and God will forgive this gang for what they have done, that's if either can be bothered too.
The first thing that stands out about Dead Man's Shoes is the location; this remote village come town in Derbyshire is not the expected location for such a sinister under belly of drugs and gang violence. In the middle of the countryside Director Shane Meadows and his location crew have found a bleak and desolate looking estate of mainly pre fabricated council style properties. Second stick out point is the gang that so clearly run this town; they are all blundering fools. The gang rule their territory in a white and green Citoen Dolly hardly a swish vehicle to carry out gang related activities. Every part of this gang stinks of comedy; while all the while your aware that they have done possibly one of the most alarming things you could think of, while they blunder they terrify you to the core. Then there is Richard (Paddy Considine) he has had the very emotion ripped from his heart, he talks to the gang without fear, he challenges them in the most provocative manner that your amazed he has not got a slap; but then maybe this big mystery holds the clue to this. Finally you have Anthony, Richard's poor innocent brother; because of him this terrible incident has occurred, but he most definitely is not at fault. Anthony has learning difficulties the gang use him for amusement; they call him all the names that we all heard at school. He is used for their amusement; Anthony has a heart of gold even at the worst of times he sees good. The only time that Richard ever displays emotion is when he is with his brother Anthony. This is the stabilising force of the movie, while being the issue that causes all that is wrong he is the strong link holding all together.
Dead Man's Shoes is very graphic, it has strong and disturbing images of violence and sexual abuse. But its there for an important reason, sometimes in a movie less is more but for the hideous offence that sits at the heart of the movie more just is not enough. The story itself is well followed through with one lacking element and that's the ending. The regret the gang feel for what they have done is obvious, as each replays incidents that have bought them where they are you call feel the regret, all they want to do is turn the clock back before it all happened. Its also obvious that before the incident they were all stronger, whatever has occurred has shaken them to the core. For some the guilt has been far too much, for others the feeling of regret only really sinks in the moment they realise that Richard is back in town. The key issue is that whatever they did, they all assume they had got away with it.
The weakness of the movie is that its not rocket science, anyone with a little common sense will realise within minutes what has happened. So when the big reveal occurs your sat there thinking "And?" As tragic as it is you still have seen it coming a mile off. Then the final end of the movie leaves you thinking "Why?" for reasons I cant explain for risk of ruining the story the end result makes little or no sense at all. Dead Man's Shoes will move you, it will make you feel angry while leaving you well aware that a commonly used Biblical phrase about eyes has great meaning here. Most importantly for me as a viewer I had to ask myself if put in Richard's shoes would I do the same? I think I probably would.
Special Features
Northern Soul is a short movie featuring actor Toby Kebbell who played Anthony in the main movie. This short is nothing too inspiring and features Toby as a backwards individual wanting desperately to bring the English wrestling tournaments of the 70's and 80's back into popularity; but most of all wanting to be a professional wrestler.
Audio Commentary is led mainly by Shane and Paddy they discuss things that occurred on set while emphasising the message behind the movie. Paddy talks with passion of his 6 year working relationship with Shane and obviously has high regard for the director.
Deleted & Extended scenes offers what it states, an series of alternatives a nice addition to the DVD but there is little there to make you jump out and express them as a reason of purchase.
In Shane's Shoes is a documentary that follows Shane from his initial thoughts behind the movie in which he retells an incident from his youth where he became involved with a Skin head gang; he also states that if it were not for what occurred during this time he would be a much different person. From this discussion Shane explains about his free way of working, and how he does not like much preparation when shooting a movie; then he explains why he had to become involved with his first ever piece of storyboarding and the reasoning behind it and the importance this option gave him. A trailer is then included which varies from the one that was used to promote the film. The final part of the documentary see's Shane, Toby and Johhny Vegas attending the world premier at the Edinburgh film festival.
A music video is chucked in to offer padding.
Somes scenes from the graphic novel, which again add some pointless padding.
On the subject of padding we are then offered the theatrical trailer as well as a trailer for 9 Songs, and some martial arts movies.
Finally hidden in the audio and main extras section are some hidden pieces of commentary from the cast giving away some information that really puts the whole movie into perspective. This final addition is one of the most valuable to a movie lover.
All in all I found Dead Man's Shoes a great movie, I found it challenging, amusing and at times deeply disturbing. Its not a movie that you'll watch time and time again, but its certainly one that will stay with you long after you have ejected the DVD.
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Harrowing thriller about a hotwired ex-soldier (co-scripter Paddy Considine fromCinderella ... more
Man) who returns to his sleepy Midlands hometown to dole out merciless revenge upon the booze and drug-sodden hoodlums who abused his mentally handicapped younge...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The fourth feature from Shane Meadows (Twentyfourseven, A Room For Romeo Brass), one of ... more
the UK's most exciting directors, Dead Man's Shoes is a gritty yet fiercely moral tale of gangland retribution.Two brothers return to the hometown they left eight y...
Harrowing thriller about a hotwired ex-soldier (co-scripter Paddy Considine fromCinderella ... more
Man) who returns to his sleepy Midlands hometown to dole out merciless revenge upon the booze and drug-sodden hoodlums who abused his mentally handicapped younge...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Two brothers return to the home town they left years previously. Richard the elder is ... more
strong and purposeful. Anthony is the younger more hesitant keen to mimic the actions of the sibling he reveres. As the brothers set up camp in the hills overloo...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: shane meadows film Disadvantages: none
claireimitation 14.09.2008 (14.09.2008)
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Review of Dead Man's Shoes (DVD)
![Dead Man's Shoes [DVD] [2004]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78509875.jpg "Dead Man's Shoes [DVD] [2004]")
Jan 16th, 2007
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