Dead Man's Shoes [DVD] [2004]

It seems almost pointless to add to the numerous reviews of this DVD, the majority of which are, quite rightly, gushing in their praise of Shane Meadows' fourth - and best - picture about a brother taking revenge on a gang of small-town lowlifes. But the quality of Dead Man's Shoes cannot be over-stated, and personally I found this to be one of the most moving and impressive feature films of recent years and as such feel compelled to recommend it further.

Paddy Considine, recently seen in Simon Pegg's comedy cop caper, 'Hot Fuzz', plays Richard - a former soldier who returns to his sleepy hometown in the Midlands with his younger brother Anthony (Toby Kebbel) in tow. The pair are on foot, and the reasons for their return are initially unclear. However, what quickly becomes apparent is the fact that Anthony is mildly mentally disabled; he is also extremely uncomfortable at being back in town. Fortunately, the steel-nerved Richard is more than willing to act on his brother's behalf...

The way the tale is told is superb - black and white flash-backs depicting the fateful events leading to Richard's vengeful and violent actions are interspersed with the often comical exchanges between the would-be victims. Considine's performance is colossal: Richard is possessed of a spine-chilling calm and a singularity of purpose that evokes awe and admiration in equal measure. Kebbel, meanwhile, is perfectly cast in his role - capable as he is of portraying Anthony with a sympathetic but wonderfully understated charm.

This film strikes the perfect balance between fantasy and reality; it is dark and psychological, visceral and violent and it moved me to tears on more than one occasion. However, it also made me laugh uproariously - I mean, really, what more could you ask for?

Matt Pucci

This is easily my favourite film of 2004 and is best described as a cross between The Office (in terms of humour) and Taxi Driver. I have to admit that I had never heard of the director Shane Meadows before seeing this but I will certainly be seeking out his previous work after experiencing this fantastic piece of cinema, Hollywood could learn a thing or two from this guy. The same goes for lead actor Paddy Considine who gives a brilliantly believable performance as Richard, Considine is an extremely naturalistic actor who quite simply becomes the character and given the films docu-style approach you sometimes forget it is actually a film.

I found this film to be an extremely refreshing change from the bilge that Hollywood churns out nowadays, it is extremely funny one minute and then shockingly brutal the next although it does not depend on gore for shock value and strikes a great balance between humour and drama. Apparently some of the script was improvised during filming and this gives the whole film a believable edge which really adds to the whole story, ex-boxer Gary Stretch plays the bad guy at the centre of Considine's rampage and also gives a great performance. In summary if you're tired of formulaic Hollywood films and fancy something that's generally different check out Dead Man's Shoes, I've been spreading the word about how good this is and those who've have seen it all agree.

This in my opinion is one of the best acted, scripted and directed films ever. The criminals are believable and not the usual cheeky chirpy chappys as seen in Snatch etc. The are true low lifes. Paddy Considine gives a powerful emotional performance which leaves you breathless throughout. I cannot rate this film enough. I also recommend the soundtrack. Each track fits in just right.