April 27: Dead Man's Shoes

"A disaffected soldier returns to his hometown to get even with the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother years ago"

Dead Man's Shoes is a terrific revenge flick. Paddy Considine, who I would watch in anything, plays Richard, a former soldier who comes back to his quiet little town seeking revenge. While he was away, a bunch of low-life drug dealers would continually bully and torture his brother. Dead Man's Shoes shows him tracking them down, haunting and scaring them, and finally killing them one by one. Directed by Shane Meadows, who made one of my favorite movies- This is England, captures the beauty of the British countryside while showcasing the violence that hides behind the walls of a small community. 

And it's pretty creepy. 

As in nearly every movie he's in, Paddy Considine steals the show. He's terrifying as Richard, hell bent on avenging his brother. He does very violent things but you continually want to see him succeed. As Richard continues his rampage, the film combines flashbacks to what happened to his brother. As these flashbacks become more disturbing, Richard's acts of violence become more gruesome. It's a great way to the tell the story and as everything unfolds, you understand how Richard becomes the monster you see. His transformation is heart-wrenching, because you know he's conflicted with what he's doing, but he's driven by revenge and that's an animal you can't contain. 

And we all know if revenge were an animal it'd be the platypus. Mammal? Bird? BEAST.

I would highly recommend Dead Man's Shoes. It's a simple story told insanely well, with an incredible actor in the lead role. It has very bloody moments, with very realistic violence, and can be rather disturbing. The flashbacks with the abuse put on Richard's brother can also be pretty hard to watch. The film leaves you questioning how far you would go for revenge and if the acts Richard does could be justified and forgiven. It shows you how evil some people can be, especially to those who cannot defend themselves. 

The Good:

a dark story filmed with the perfect blend of beauty and horror

The Better:

seeing revenge unfold against those who committed such heinous acts

The Best:

Paddy Considine, incredible as always. When will this guy get the break he needs to be the big star he deserves?

Overall: 8.7/10

Trailer: