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You're reading a really old version of matt-thornton's website. For example, if you're looking at the movie reviews... you'll notice that none of them are of recent films. Indeed, I leave them here for posterity's sake, but I doubt very much that they'll get updated anytime soon. So have a giggle.

You might, if you're lucky, find something recent from Matt at his blog matt's debates. Kernow bys vyken.

Dead Mans Shoes

the verdict:

This is a British film, which is tagged as being one of the greatest British films of the year, if not of all time. It's a dark and mysterious revenge saga, about a bloke who returns from the Army to seek revenge on the men who abused his younger brother while he was away.

It's set in and around Derbyshire, but I'm not sure what year it's supposed to be. All the cars have old number plates on, so I'm guessing about 20 years ago.

The whole film feels very budget, as done some of the acting in places. Paddy Considine does well as the pyscho brother exacting the revenge, though in places, he looks about as scary as a sponge cake. Toby Kebbell is good as the mentally retarded brother. A lot of the film you'll spend thinking "I know that bloke from somewhere" seeing as most of the cast have appeared in popular sitcoms or soap operas. Except for Gary Stretch, who used to be a professional boxer.

It's worth a watch. It's certainly not as gory and violent as its billed as being, and is made more wholesome by some topnotch British humour (5 hardmen drug dealing thugs, scooting about in a 2CV...) something that might be lost on our friends across the pond (assuming the film even makes it over there). The message is quite strong too. It's also a bit of WTFer, and you'll spend some time wondering who or what was actually involved in the real life events of this. If they even occurred at all.

All in all, worth a rental from your local BBuster.