Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

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

Director:

Shane Meadows

Writers:

Paddy Considine, Shane Meadows

Stars:

Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Toby Kebbell

4 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paddy Considine	...	Richard
Gary Stretch	...	Sonny
Toby Kebbell	...	Anthony
Stuart Wolfenden	...	Herbie
Neil Bell	...	Soz
Paul Sadot	...	Tuff
Seamus O'Neill	...	Big Al (as Seamus O'Neal)
Jo Hartley	...	Marie
Paul Hurstfield	...	Mark
Emily Aston	...	Patti
George Newton	...	Gypsy John
Craig Considine	...	Craig
Matt Considine	...	Matthew
Andrew Shim	...	Elvis
Arthur Meadows	...	Mourner

Storyline

With revenge etched in his mind, after the abuse of his autistic brother by the vicious local gang leader Sonny and his goons, Richard, a former paratrooper from British Army's Parachute Regiment, returns to his hometown of Matlock, Derbyshire. Now, no one is safe, and as army-trained Richard embarks on a bloody mission of meticulously planned carnage, one thing is certain: the grim avenging angel won't stop until justice is served. What is it like to walk in a dead man's shoes?

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | torture | army veteran | anger | brother brother relationship | 

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Taglines:

He's in all of us.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Toby Kebbell.

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Goofs

When Sonny, Soz and Herbie set off up the stairs with weapons to check for Richard's presence, they get to the top of the stairs in a different order than they started.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Richard: [narrating] God will forgive them. He'll forgive them and allow them into Heaven. I can't live with that.

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Connections

References Enter the Dragon (1973)

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Soundtracks

Let My Prayer Arise
Sung by Eesti Filharmoonia Kammerkoor (as The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir), directed by Paul Hillier
Written by Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky (as Dmitry Bortniansky)
(c) harmonia mundi usa

User Reviews

one of the best British films of the last decade!

I was starting to give up on British films. They all seem to be too considered, too focus grouped, too controlled by the marketing mafia. So it was so very refreshing to see a movie that has the inspired spontaneity so common in Japanese cinema, but with a very British story. Shane Meadows uses characters from his own past as source material, and co-writer Paddy Considine (Richard) based part of the story on family history, so we have a film that has authentic characters and authentic, semi-improvised dialogue. The revenge thriller format has never seemed more sophisticated. Richard's calculated derangement is balanced by the thuggish banality displayed by his targets, whose crimes initially seem more like misdemeanors until the last act. This movie is well paced, laugh out loud funny, and darkly menacing as it proceeds inexorably to its grim conclusion. If only more British films were like this, we might even have a film industry. It shows that the only way to make good films in the UK is to do it behind the studio's backs!

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 2004 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Dead Man's Shoes

Filming Locations:

Bonsall, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP695,393 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,825, 14 May 2006

Gross USA:

$6,408

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$203,450

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warp Films, Big Arty Productions, EM Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (flashback scenes)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1