With it's storyline of an ex-soldier who returns to his hometown to take revenge on the bullies who mistreated his mentally-challenged brother, Dead Man's Shoes,directed and co-written by Shane Meadows,could be described as "Get Carter" for the 21st century. But whereas Mike Hodges 1971 film with Michael Caine was filmed with an icy detachment and featured a cold and distant central hero, Dead Man's Shoes, is shot with a restless hand-held intimacy that evokes feelings of dread and sympathy simultaneously for the mysterious but rather likable character played (very well) by Paddy Considine, who also had a hand in the script. As the bodies pile up and the bad guys begin to panic, the revenge dished out seems to be all out of proportion to the mistreatment of Considine's brother. But then, in a very clever twist, a surprise is unveiled and it's this little jolt that really makes Dead Man's Shoes a memorable and haunting experience.
Review of Dead Man's Shoes
