Dead Man's Shoes

Title: Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Dir: Shane Meadows
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5 stars



I had heard that Paddy Considine is like a young Gary Oldman, and having seen Dead Man's Shoes now, I can definitely agree with that. People really need to take notice of this guy.

The film is about a British soldier (Considine) who returns home to exact revenge against some thugs who hurt his mentally-challenged brother. As he hunts them down one-by-one, the movie could've easily turned into another Kill Bill; but interestingly enough, Shoes plays out like a slasher film. Only this time, the maniac is the protagonist - the hero, even.

But that's where the line becomes blurred. This film challenges you to ask: who is the real monster? Don't expect an easy answer to that. I guess the point is, we all have our demons.

So why the moderate rating? Well, I wasn't too fond of the ending. And some of the story gets silly, especially toward the end. But a second viewing probably would be good for me. I should also mention that the accents are VERY difficult to understand sometimes, and the DVD lacks English captions. But the story is easy enough to follow.

Dead Man's Shoes is dark and depressing, and not likely the kind of film I'd pop in the player for fun. But its heavy message and even heavier performances are worth seeing. And seeing Paddy with a gas mask and an ax is pretty badass.

On a related note, I'm still pouting that Considine wasn't chosen to be Joker in The Dark Knight *sniffle*