Name of film – Dead Man’s Shoes (2004)
Lizard film – 038
Chosen by – Mashiter
Date – July 2019
Director – Shane Meadows
Starring – Paddy Considine, Toby Kebbell, Gary Stretch, Stuart Wolfenden
Duration – 90 mins
Genre – Crime, Drama, Thriller
Summary –
The fourth feature from Shane Meadows (Twentyfourseven, A Room For Romeo Brass); one of 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 years earlier, to find it still run by the same gang of small-time drug dealers and petty thugs. Their purpose, it soon becomes clear, is not reunion, but revenge – a quest of particular significance for Richard (Paddy Considine, The Last Resort, In America), the leader of the two, whose obsessive desire to even the score will lead them into dangerous territory.
Evoking Get Carter in its avenging brother scenario and featuring an outstanding central performance from Considine (not to mention a cracking score featuring Bonnie Prince Billy and The Aphex Twin), Dead Man’s Shoes is Meadows’ finest film to date.
JONES’ SCORE & REVIEW
ACTING – 9
DIRECTING – 8
SCORE/AUDIO – 9
CINEMATOGRAPHY – 8
ENTERTAINMENT – 8
TOTAL – 42/50 = 84% ****
There are some movies that draw you in instantly. It could be a shocking opening scene, something bizarrely visual, or simply a piece of music. “Dead Man Shoes” got me hooked from the start as Bill Callahan’s “Vessel in Vain” gently played out in the background. To be fair, the same tune was used for the Blu Ray menu screen, so I’d already had a little taster. Such a beautiful track that had the same feel as the theme tune to “The Detectorists” – a lighthearted BBC comedy I adored. Throw in some old footage of two young boys – brothers growing up and appearing to have a happy childhood – naturally, the viewer felt part of the family unit within moments of the opening credits. Judging by the front cover, this warm feeling of puppy dogs and ice-cream, would soon do one, as I knew darker moments were about to be served up in front of me – but for now, I felt settled and content. However, when I discovered the DVD had no subtitles, I was rather put out. I like to stick the words on the bottom of the screen as it helps me follow the story, really get involved with what’s going on, and I’m a sucker for a good script. Oh well, it appears Dead Man Shoes = Deaf Man Lose! (Hope they are good at lip-reading).
The character of Richard appears in front of us, played by the brilliant Paddy Considine (who I have to admit, have been calling Constantine until my new discovery!) His younger brother, Anthony, by his side. He looked like Bez and was clearly retarded in some way. We’ll learn all about the younger brother as the film unravelled. As the two siblings walk through a typical looking Northern housing estate, I had the feeling shit was going to go down soon, somehow. Any film with Paddy in has always put me on edge. This is credit to his acting. As good as “A Room For Romeo Brass” was, I don’t think I could watch it again as his character creeped me out in a weird way. Clearly his Burton upon Trent accent doesn’t relax me and he was soon at it again in this film. I felt on edge…
“- Can I help you mate?
– Sorry?
– What the fuck are you looking at?
– You, ya cunt!”
Another one of these silent but deadly characters we’ve learnt to fear. A poodle who can turn into a rottweiler in seconds. It’s not long before he’s shitting up Herbie as he’s hovering around the flats. Great banter follows between the two lads as they flick through porn mags. Herbie joins in. It felt natural and not scripted at all. Not has such wit of this level has been witnessed between three blokes since the Lizards join forces for the first time at Windermere train station on a frosty January morning every year.
The atmosphere in the dingy pad soon changes when the words, “Anthony’s brother” are muttered on Herbie’s lips. The jolly conversation soon disappears, as if Paul Foster had just walked into the lounge. It seems their past is about to haunt them big time as Richard is about to the play the role of the Grim Reaper.
Director, Meadows, elected to use the black and white film to show footage of the seedy past and uncomfortable bullying scenes. As easily lead, half dim-wit Anthony is used as a play thing for the blokes to laugh and mock. They force him to take drugs. Naturally, as a newcomer to smoking, he chokes on a bong as he gets high for the first time.
We see more scenes between Richard and Anthony. It reminded me of the Lenny and George relationship from “Of Mice and Men”. One man looking out for another and going the extra mile to protect him. In this case though, Richard, didn’t just go the extra yard, he ran ten marathons and more for his bro. Richard was clearly on a mission for payback for what happened to his younger sibling.
As the boys are clearly rattled and squabbling amongst themselves, they return back to their flat to see it’s been turned over with “Cheyne Stoking” sprayed on their wall. I read afterwards that in very sick patients, this is the name of the breathing pattern that is a sign of impending death.
Richard haunts the viewer too, like a iconic horror character. He lingers wearing his Cold War era Russian GP-5 gas mask (without its filter), even to shit up any passer by.
“God will forgive them. He’ll forgive them and allow them into Heaven. I can’t live with that.”
For as much as I was enjoying this film, its mix of comedy and drama didn’t work for me. What did Meadows want to make here? A dark comedy or a thriller/drama? Mixing two genres so far apart was a risky move, and it was feeling more like a violent episode of Paddy and Max (the one where they are paid by a woman to shoot kill her husband), whereas I wanted Lock Stock or Long Good Friday. It felt like a crackin’ TV drama for a main chunk of the feature. A similar vibe to “Looking For Eric”. The interesting choice of car used of the Citroen 2CV was another comic moment but again, it was lost on me as violence and slapstick humour should be left for Laurel and Hardy, not a combination of Wacky Races meets Pulp Fiction. I suppose the closest thing I’ve seen to a light hearted horror/thriller is Shaun of the Dead. Easy watching but throw-away, bargin bucket stuff. Thankfully as the movie went on, “Dead Man’s Shoes” pulled itself out from this potential pit and ended up being a really good Indie film.
We are treated to more comedy scenes as two more characters enter the picture covered in face paint. We now have six worried men knowing Anthony’s brother is after them all. They’d be left to hang out to dry more than Bourinho treated Luke Shaw.
“If I were you, I’d get in that fuckin’ car and I’d get out of here, man. I’d gather them goonies and get whatever you’ve got and come at me, cause I’m gonna fuckin’ hit you all.”
Richard is now picking off his men one by one. The first chap is a goner. The war has officially started. Sadly, another moment I had beef with wasn’t too far away. The main leader and brains behind the outfit, ended up blowing off his mate’s head by accident. “You shot Alan you twat!” I think they chose the wrong character to do this dumbfuck move. There’s no way this fella would have even taken a shot as it was too risky. The film lost its way a little as they are now cracking open Pot Noodles. One fella is taking a dump whilst his mate takes a bath. The humour overpowering the actions again. It was on the borderline of being a Jack of all trades, master on none, movie again. I was becoming a little baffled to enjoy it.
“You know why people give kids drugs? So they can control their minds. ‘Cause they’re fucking weak-minded themselves.”
The black and white grainy image was overused but I guess Meadows had committed to this style and technique from the off so accepted this. Not exactly top of the range directing though, but that’s Meadows for you. In all his work, it’s no frills, you get what you see, but sadly, this made me want more from the leader of this piece and a bit more creativity.
However, full credit to the directing of the scene where the drugs kicked in and the characters were spaced out. It was really well done as we get into the heads of the guys who are all away with the fairies and only half aware that Richard is in their faces. One after another, they all became victims to Richard in these vicious acts of revenge. Either the method of the bag over the head and shot dead or stabbed to death after luring them into a false sense of security are used, or other brutal acts. The final death was the worst one to watch as we knew Richard was toying with his victim, like a cat batting a mouse from one paw to the other. Very well produced. I was surprised Sonny wasn’t left last to be killed but that would have been too predictable and I guess the order of who was to go first made no difference to Richard. What was his end goal? A strange moral compass as it was revenge and fuck the consequences, all for what? This was a bit like Cell Block 99. He’d literally do anything for a loved one, even sacrificing his own life.
“They’re all dead. I executed them.”
It was very clever how we discovered Anthony was dead all along. I should have guessed by the title of the film, but I didn’t twig and it was a surprising twist for me. This upped my score as I was very impressed with the ending. Yes, I had issues with the ages and maturity of these bullies. They weren’t teenagers afterall and it wasn’t like “Sleepers” where they were kids when they got up to no good. These were always grown men and I found it difficult to accept the bullying of Anthony from the type of characters in the group, especially the last fella, who never ever looked suited to be friends with these other immature pricks.
So as we see the beauitful grounds of the ruined castle located above Matlock, Derbyshire, it’s fitting for Richard that he dies in the same spot as his brother. He could have killed his last victim but instead chose to force him to drive a knife into his own heart instead as he wanted to feel closer and be reunited with his brother. I never predicted this and maybe it didn’t feel like the right ending either as I never felt that feeling of defeat with Richard, but more like a revenge mission to kill anyone associated with his brother’s hanging, followed by him walking off into the sunset, never to be seen again.
It was the shortest film to date but still the word “fuck” was squeezed in 116 times.
The end credits state the message “In memory of Martin Joseph Considine”. This was Paddy’s father. Just before Martin died, he kept saying that he wanted Paddy to work with Shane Meadows again. So a Dead Man’s Choose his son’s next film role. Apparently he chatted more on his death bed than Del Boy and Rodney’s mum. Martin’s wise words and demands paid off for Paddy as it was a top notch performance from him. Don’t always listen to your dad though. Fred West’s dad asked his son to knock him up a new patio. Rod Hull’s father asked him if he could fix the aerial on his roof, and Jonathan Wood’s papa told his son to dab a bit of battery acid on his face to clear up his acne.
To conclude, a very good addition to the shelf and a British cult classic no doubt in time. I’m glad I’ve finally watched it as many people said it was amazing. It wasn’t quite at that level of wowness for me but certainly a very good watch indeed.
Lizardman Film Club 