I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)

A former gangster reenters the criminal underworld after his brother suspiciously commits suicide.

Director:

Mike Hodges

Writer:

Trevor Preston

Stars:

Clive Owen, Malcolm McDowell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clive Owen	...	Will
Charlotte Rampling	...	Helen
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Davey
Malcolm McDowell	...	Boad
Jamie Foreman	...	Mickser
Ken Stott	...	Turner
Sylvia Syms	...	Mrs. Bartz
Alexander Morton	...	Victor
John Surman	...	Pathologist
Paul Mohan	...	Coroner
Damian Dibben	...	David Myers
Amber Batty	...	Sheridan
Daisy Beaumont	...	Stella, Drugs Seeker
Lidija Zovkic	...	Philippa, Model
Geoff Bell	...	Arnie Ryan

Storyline

Will Graham is a gangster who has left the life of crime and is living in the countryside. He comes out of hiding to investigate the death of his brother when he learns that he committed suicide. Charlotte Rampling is his old girlfriend who owns a restaurant. Boad is the villain responsible for the bad things that happened to Will's brother.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | restaurant | male rape | bathroom | bathtub | 

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Taglines:

For three long years, Will Graham led a quiet life. Things are about to change.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, a rape scene, violent images and brief drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

Clive Owen had previously worked with Mike Hodges on Croupier (1998).

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Quotes

Mickser: He went for the soft money, started dealing, started getting himself whacked up with them wanks, them... I'm telling you, if Davey was raped, it was one of them who did it. They're fucking brainsick, that lot! I'll fucking do the lot of 'em!

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Connections

Featured in O Lucky Malcolm! (2006)

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Soundtracks

The Blunted Needle
Composed by Simon Fisher-Turner (as Simon Fisher Turner) and Gilad Atzmon
Recorded by Simon Fisher-Turner (as SFT)
Published by Mute Song Ltd
Courtesy of Mute Records Ltd

User Reviews

You May Drop Off Sooner - Less Than Meets The Eye

This is an old master's film, in which an aged director goes back to revisit the kind of story he excelled at when young, with dubious results. A more satisfying example of this kind of nostalgia would be John Frankenheimer's "Ronin," and if you had trouble with that one, you'll hate this one.

What Mike Hodges gives us here is a great wind-up and no pitch. London at night, endless shots of almost-human cars under the street lamps, a threatening bunch of thugs who never really thump each other, it all adds up to considerably less than a whole film.

Much has been made in these reviews about the film's ambiguity. I disagree. All the characters, and I mean all, are painfully aware and articulate about their motivations. Gloomy predictions are made about inevitable conflicts that never materialize, action is either cut short or cut away from. The whole thing is like a Michael Mann thriller with all the thrills scrupulously removed. Or perhaps Hodges is trying to reclaim the genre from Guy Ritchie's jokiness.

The script for this film must really have looked threadbare on the page. The dialog is obvious and arthritic. What works is the acting, the cinematography and the director's depressed atmospherics. Clive Owen demonstrates his considerable presence in a part that is intended to be a deliberate let-down. Charlotte Rampling is fascinating as always, more so than her lines. The rest of the cast ranges from good down to OK.

But in his determination to avoid clichés, the director has also managed to avoid incident, pace and interest. So a nice wind-up, but no pitch, no runs, no hits, and some calculated, deliberate errors.

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Classics

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 2004 (UK)

Also Known As:

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

Filming Locations:

Dark Street, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,415, 20 June 2004

Gross USA:

$360,759

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$490,964

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mosaic Film Group, Revere Pictures, Will & Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1