Dead Man's Shoes, Dog Altogether and Paddy Considine

On Saturday afternoon, the IFI screened Shane Meadows' Dead Man's Shoes as part of the Darklight Film Festival. After the film was screened, we were shown Dog Altogether, directed by Dead Man's Shoes actor, Paddy Considine. Considine was on hand to answer a few questions about the film and his work in general. The screening was packed.

If you've read anything I've written about Shane Meadows, you'll know I'm a pretty big fan, and Dead Man's Shoes is an excellent film. The performances from Considine and Toby Kebbell are amazing and the script, co-written by Meadows and Considine is both funny and devastating. It's a great film. Dog Altogether, Considine's first outing as director is a Bafta winning short about a violent, angry man who is seaching for any shred of redemption. It's a dark watch, but features a brilliant central performance by Peter Mullan. Hopefully Considine continues to explore directing as well as acting.

As for what he has in store, Considine stated that he's currently exploring a film with Shane Meadows which he referred to as 'King of the Gypsies.' He didn't say much about it, but they're seeing about putting it into production next year. At the moment, Considine's concentrating on writing more than acting. He went on to explain that working with young directors was a mixed bag. While the directors certainly had visual flair, he found that their direction of the actors left something to be desired. So his decision to step behind the camera was driven by a desire to put what he had learned in front of the camera to good use. When asked by an audience member if he considered doing the bigger roles such as The Bourne Supremacy as 'selling out,' Considine quickly retorted that he'd sell out in a second, which resulted in laughter, clapping and cheering from the audience.

It was great to see Dead Man's Shoes on the big screen, and opportunities to see shorts are few and far between. Considine was very relaxed and open with the packed cinema and it was very interesting to see him speak about his work.

For more information on The Darklight Film Festival, check out http://www.darklight.ie/

A ROOM FOR ROMEO BRASS (1999) - Shane Meadows

Over the last ten years, Shane Meadows has proven himself to be one of the finest writer-directors not just in England, but in the world. His films are stripped of gloss and glamour and retain the gritty realism that his stories call for. Since Twenty Four Seven, released in 1997, Meadows films have gotten steadily better with each release, but that’s not to say his earlier work is any weaker than the likes of Dead Man’s Shoes and last year’s This Is England. A Room For Romeo Brass, Meadow’s follow up to Twenty Four Seven retains the hallmarks of Meadows’ style and marks his first collaboration with Paddy Considine.

A Room For Romeo Brass follows the fortunes of two young friends, Gavin and Romeo played by Ben Marshall and Andrew Shim. Romeo is an outspoken kid, who’s father has walked out on him, his sister and mother. Himself and Gavin get into a fight with some older boys, but are rescued by Morell, a twenty five year old eccentric man. Morell starts to hang around with the boys, and takes a shine to Romeo’s older sister. But after she rejects his advances, Morell starts to show a dark, dangerous and obsessive side to his personality. A side that threatens now only Romeo, but his family, and his friendship with Gavin.



As with the other films that Meadows has done, the look and feel to A Room For Romeo Brass would make some think that it is a low budget, amateur piece. And while the first part of that statement is true, the later part is in no way true. Meadows’ script and characterisation are very tight. The dialogue is witty, and at times, the film is very suspenseful. Quite a part of that must be credited to Considine’s performance as Morell. At first, Morell comes across as harmless, and you feel quite fond of him. At moments, his naivety is endearing, and you can feel sorry for him. But then it becomes clear that this kind of naivety can be dangerous, as Morell loses control of his actions. Considine’s performance is as good, if not better than that of Richard in Dead Man’s Shoes. It’s difficult to chose between the two performances, as they’re incredibly different. Considine seems to completely change physically between the roles, and it’s this that shows just how good of an actor he is.

Also collaborating with Meadows for the first of many times is Andrew Shim as Romeo. His performance needs to be strong, playing against Considine, but it’s no problem for Shim. He captures Romeo’s cock-sure nature very well. It’s easy to see why Meadows continues to work with Shim, as he’s quite comfortable in the role. Meadows has the knack for drawing great performances from his actors, who quite often are not professionals, and while the rest of the cast aren’t as integral as Considine and Shim, each of the actors is completely at home in their roles.



While A Room For Romeo Brass might not exactly be the type of film you’d expect to fill the multiplex, none of Meadows’ films go for that kind of audience. There’s no glitz or glamour to them. They present quite a grim view of their characters’ environments, but despite this, each of the films are steeped in reality. For first timers, Considine and Shim, their performances are outstanding. The script for A Room For Romeo Brass is tight, funny and suspenseful. The direction is excellent, and not a moment is wasted. While A Room For Romeo Brass isn’t as good as Dead Man’s Shoes or the truly outstanding This Is England, it’s still a brilliant film, and definitely worth getting your hands on.


8/10

Shane Meadows' new one!

As you may have gathered from reading my gushing review of This Is England, Shane Meadows is quickly becoming one of my favorite filmmakers. Next year sees the release of his new film, 'Le Donk,' a mockumentary about builder, rock drummer and roadie, Donk. Have no idea what this will be like, but it's a new direction for Meadows and should be very interesting.

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2007) - Paul Greengrass

In the year of the three-quel, we've seen third parts of Pirates of the Caribbean, Spider-Man, Shrek, and (although the title may suggest otherwise), Ocean's Thirteen. Sequels to 28 Days Later and Die Hard have arrived on screen. And, aside from a very strong offering in 28 Weeks Later, all these films have been rubbish. Empty-headed, cash in, disposable crap that have contributed to making 2007 one of the worst years in recent history in terms of film. It has been depressing. And now, another three-quel bursts onto the screen with the third part of the Bourne saga, The Bourne Ultimatum. And mercifully, this three-quel is not only the best of the series, but is a very strong contender for film of the year. All I can say is, thank goodness for filmmakers like Paul Greengrass.

The Bourne Ultimatum kicks off immediately after The Bourne Supremacy ends. Uber-badass, Jason Bourne is fleeing Moscow police after causing somewhat of a ruckus in a Moscow tunnel. Bourne states quite clearly to a trapped officer that his beef is not with him. He's no arbitrary killing machine. Bourne is a man with a conscience. Six weeks later, Bourne discovers his name in an article written by one Simon Ross, a journalist for The Guardian newspaper with a penchant for getting involved in situations way over his head. Bourne arranges to meet this journalist in order to start what may be his most personal vendetta. Bourne wants to know who made him what he is. However, the CIA aren't about to let their most dangerous rogue agent get too close to home, and CIA deputy director, and head of a project simply known as 'Blackbriar,' Noah Vosen wants Bourne's head on a plate.



What is immediately clear after watching The Bourne Ultimatum is the fact that with each film he makes, director Paul Greengrass becomes a better filmmaker. Doug Liman left the director's chair after The Bourne Identity and Greengrass took over helming duties for The Bourne Supremacy. In Supremacy, he delivered a far more interesting and exciting film than the predecessor, with star Matt Damon settling more comfortably into the role of Jason Bourne. In The Bourne Ultimatum, Greengrass has upped the ante even more, and has made the best film of the series. Bourne goes all out to discover his roots. He has nothing left to lose and will go anywhere and do anything to finally discover who he is and where he came from. What is so compelling about the character, however, is he's a reluctant action hero. While James Bond is a remorseless killing machine, dispatching bad guys with a grin and a quip, Bourne just does what is necessary to get to his goal. He's not out to kill 'faceless Guard number two.'

Greengrass' direction is on top form here. His style is almost documentary-like, as seen in last year's superb United 93, and it is in full effect here. He uses handheld cameras and a frenetic editing style that is chaotic, but keeps the action fresh. In particular, one close-quarters fight sequence in a Tangiers apartment, is as chaotic as it is violent. But it's to Greengrass' credit that even the scenes that don't feature this almost trademark style retain a nail-biting tension. When scenes aren't as action-oriented, the film still keeps you on the edge of your seat, a true mark of the director's talent. There isn't a car chase that matches the climactic one in Supremacy in this film, but there are still some fantastic chase sequences. There isn't a moment in the film that leaves you bored.



The cast, as expected from the series, doesn't have a weak link. Matt Damon returns, obviously, as Jason Bourne, and has never looked more comfortable in a role. He's as tough as ever, while at the same time has the humanity that makes Bourne a compelling character. The support cast, once again, is filled by some brilliant character actors. The previous Bourne films had two excellent bad guys in Chris Cooper and Brian Cox. This time it's David Strathairn's turn to fill the role. Strathairn is a highly underrated actor, and proves this in another great turn as the ruthless Noah Vosen. Returning from the previous films are Joan Allen and Julia Stiles, both with more to work with than the previous films. Rounding off the cast are Paddy Considine (check out the fantastic Dead Man's Shoes) and the always great Albert Finney.

It's a pleasant change to have a sequel that isn't a steaming pile of shit. And it's even better to get one of those very rare things- a third film in a series that tops the previous two. But the Bourne Supremacy is exactly that. While I'm sure it isn't exactly a realistic portrayal of the CIA, Greengrass' style grounds the film with enough realism to prevent Bourne from looking like a superman. Greengrass is one of the most talented directors working today. While I'm sure this will be the last in the series, it's fitting that the film should go out in style. The Bourne Ultimatum is the best actioner of the year, and is definitely in consideration for film of the year. Fantastic.


9/10