If you edited this down to a short film, with most of the action sequences left out, you'd have an intense emotional story about two broken people. It's a decent drama violently forced into the shallow package of a revenge action movie.
Somebody is killing people and sending weird letters featuring pictures with missing eyes etc. to a gangster boss played by Terence Howard. One of his own men, Colin Farrell that is, is actually behind it. Colin Farrell also gets tangled up to another thing, when his neighbor with a scarred face, Noomi Rapace, has seen him kill a person in his apartment, and now blackmails him into having a part in her own revenge-plot. Wife and daughter killed, a cheap reasoning/backstory to make the main character more justified and likable, watching those home videos, basically this wasn't original, but I thought the slow-tempt approach and focus on the relationship between Rapace and Farrell gave this some leverage.
There wasn't many action scenes and that storyline featuring Howard and other gangsters and a revenge was relying heavily on the so-called mystery, instead of some other kind of eventfulness, and the romance-plot was even more grounded, which I think might have been an even bigger strong point. Farrell was whatever, but there was something sympathetic about how Rapace forgets all about her own revenge as the movie goes on - even though it was one of the more original-aspects of this movie and perhaps could have worked if they went some other direction with it, especially since the whole thing didn't have anything to do with Terence Howard and all that - and seems to be more interested at making connection with Farrell. Actually in that scene towards the end where Colin Farrell reminds her of that thing and she is visibly disappointed because she thought they were just going on some fun dates or something, I was even sad for her and kind of sited with that disappointment. I think it was mainly due to Rapace's performance and her character, and the fact that the so-called romance-angle didn't have any big romantic moments and took it slow so to speak, helped a lot. Isabelle Huppert played Rapace's mother and even though a small role, she did a fair job and those scenes with her around did its job at giving the whole thing personality, and those scenes where kind of nice to watch.
It wasn't anything all that deep, but I suppose the movie did try a little bit to make some message about the uselessness of a revenge, F. Murray Abraham thinks that the only reason Farrel takes so long with his plan is because he might think that his heart ain't gonna heal after it, or something like that, and at the end Rapace wants him to forget the whole thing and run away with her, and I guess in a way this did follow that though, but still went by that usual and unimaginative revenge-story formula at the same time. The climax and the lead to it especially is something that I could have seen coming from a mile away. But I though it was okay and sort of worked for the benefit that nothing special happened in the end, other than just your ordinary shootout.
A squared revenge. You could summarize this crime/drama like that. Victor (Colin Farrell) is a man who has already infiltrated some time in a corrupt gang, run by Alphonse (Terrence Howard), a not so kosher developer. They are responsible for the death of his daughter and asked an Albanian gang to scare them a bit, after the couple wanted to take legal actions. His wife is killed by the Albanians and they leave him for dead behind. The only goal in Victor's life is to make the gang , and mainly Alphonse,suffer with as much pain as possible, for the death of his family.However all his planning gets deranged by the hands of his opposite neighbor Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), who had a severe traffic accident in the past which was caused by a drunk guy. The drunk guy got a light sentence and merrily continues his dissolute life. But Beatrice is maimed for life and has painful scars, both physically and mentally, as a result. Beatrice has evidence in the form of a film on her cell phone that shows how Victor strangled someone in his apartment. She uses this to blackmail Victor, so he would murder the man responsible for the accident.
"Dead Man Down" has a promising start with the gloom, despair and the feelings of revenge as a central subject. It all looks gloomy and mysterious. Not only the two characters Victor and Beatrice take credit for that , but also the used environment and images. The apartment of Victor that looks poor and sober, the fragments in the cemetery where the light from a flashlight is used while searching for the graves of a Hungarian family, the phone-call in the evening of two neighbors on their balcony on the top floor. Everything is soaked in a pool of melancholy and deep-rooted sorrow out of which arises an intense feeling of hate.
Colin Farrell is ideal for this role. He has such a sad look that perfectly suits the person Victor. He must be extremely cold-blooded and reserved so he can empathize with his role as a member of the criminal gang. The sad and silent part of him is again an expression of his immense grief over the loss he has suffered. At times he reminded me of Ryan Gosling in "Drive". A strong piece of acting was when he rejects Beatrice in such a way that he can complete his mission. The combination of determination and helplessness was wonderful to see.
Noomi Rapace, who plays Beatrice, is a kind of replica of him. Just as Lisbeth Salander in "Män som hatar kvinnor" she's a tormented and emotionally marked woman who wants to take revenge on those who have done something to her. Salander took revenge on a perverse and abusive lawyer, while Beatrice on a drunk driver who despite the heavy facts escapes from a heavy punishment. Beatrice is not only scarred emotionally, but also physically . The heavy traffic accident has caused scars in her face, and some surgical procedures were necessary to make her presentable. Initially she seems to be an unperturbed and ruthless person, who is not afraid to extort Victor and use him as a tool to reach her goal. Gradually she evolves into this compassionate and concerned person. The somewhat bizarre relationship that ultimately flows between these two people is touching. However, the friendship shared with Victor Darcy was much more convincing than those with Beatrice . The opening and closing scene was a clear proof of that.
Niels Arden Oplev also happens to be the director of "Män som hatar kvinnor". It was the breakthrough for Noomi Rapace as an international star playing Lisbeth Salander. Also an honorable mention for Isabelle Huppert who played the half-deaf mother of Beatrice. A fairly annoying nosy woman who tried to hook up Victor with her daughter all the time. A terrible moment when she pulls out the photo album to show what a beauty Beatrice actually was. Superbly played anyway.
How convincing and sometimes impressive the beginning of this film was, so terribly quickly it went downhill towards the end. There were some things I had second thoughts about. First, I didn't think the mutilations of Beatrice were that severe that you could see her as a freak or a monstrous person. In my eyes there was still something sweet about her and she was an amiable woman who looked charming. A bit exaggerated to my findings. The moment the recording, that Victor made of a brother of one of the Albanians, was played, was so coincidental and terribly well-timed that it turned out to be completely implausible and ridiculous. That such a dark and melancholy film with a perfectly balanced morbid atmosphere can turn into a purely cheap action-packed monstrosity with all the cliché's of a Schwarzenegger / Stallone action-movie of the 80, was a huge disappointment for me. The end was like an A-team fragment of a jeep crashing into a mansion with huge explosions as a result, an exaggerated display of guns shooting around and loads of ammunition being used with gang members falling down everywhere, a terribly hilarious scene where the two leaders shot each other at the right time and the obvious ending with two bosom friends looking each other in the eyes like rivals. A typical Hollywood spectacle not worthy for this kind of movie. Like in the old musketeer films it was one-against-all again.
"Dead Man Down" had a promising start but dug his own demise by a lousy and rattling end. Oplev was hoping for an American success like his compatriot Refn, but this will not happen with this ordinary film.
Boring thriller with a bad script. Farrell has a certain everyman likability in most of his characters but he's not a good actor and he picks bad roles and bad movies very frequently.
Not to shabby. Not the deepest of plots but by no means the shallowest. I particularly enjoyed the development between Farrels and Rapaces characters, kept me on my seat so to speak.
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Comments 1 - 11 of 11
oblomov
If you edited this down to a short film, with most of the action sequences left out, you'd have an intense emotional story about two broken people. It's a decent drama violently forced into the shallow package of a revenge action movie.amir147
An engineer guy can kill an organization! believe it or you will be compelled to consent it in this movie!Just finish such jests! I lost my willing & enthusiasm (which I tried to retain) at the end! :(
Louis Mazzini
Not good but still better than 95% of all American action movies produced the last 10 years.Jpit
Somebody is killing people and sending weird letters featuring pictures with missing eyes etc. to a gangster boss played by Terence Howard. One of his own men, Colin Farrell that is, is actually behind it. Colin Farrell also gets tangled up to another thing, when his neighbor with a scarred face, Noomi Rapace, has seen him kill a person in his apartment, and now blackmails him into having a part in her own revenge-plot. Wife and daughter killed, a cheap reasoning/backstory to make the main character more justified and likable, watching those home videos, basically this wasn't original, but I thought the slow-tempt approach and focus on the relationship between Rapace and Farrell gave this some leverage.There wasn't many action scenes and that storyline featuring Howard and other gangsters and a revenge was relying heavily on the so-called mystery, instead of some other kind of eventfulness, and the romance-plot was even more grounded, which I think might have been an even bigger strong point. Farrell was whatever, but there was something sympathetic about how Rapace forgets all about her own revenge as the movie goes on - even though it was one of the more original-aspects of this movie and perhaps could have worked if they went some other direction with it, especially since the whole thing didn't have anything to do with Terence Howard and all that - and seems to be more interested at making connection with Farrell. Actually in that scene towards the end where Colin Farrell reminds her of that thing and she is visibly disappointed because she thought they were just going on some fun dates or something, I was even sad for her and kind of sited with that disappointment. I think it was mainly due to Rapace's performance and her character, and the fact that the so-called romance-angle didn't have any big romantic moments and took it slow so to speak, helped a lot. Isabelle Huppert played Rapace's mother and even though a small role, she did a fair job and those scenes with her around did its job at giving the whole thing personality, and those scenes where kind of nice to watch.
It wasn't anything all that deep, but I suppose the movie did try a little bit to make some message about the uselessness of a revenge, F. Murray Abraham thinks that the only reason Farrel takes so long with his plan is because he might think that his heart ain't gonna heal after it, or something like that, and at the end Rapace wants him to forget the whole thing and run away with her, and I guess in a way this did follow that though, but still went by that usual and unimaginative revenge-story formula at the same time. The climax and the lead to it especially is something that I could have seen coming from a mile away. But I though it was okay and sort of worked for the benefit that nothing special happened in the end, other than just your ordinary shootout.
ikkegoemikke
"I didn't kill you because they've got you."A squared revenge. You could summarize this crime/drama like that. Victor (Colin Farrell) is a man who has already infiltrated some time in a corrupt gang, run by Alphonse (Terrence Howard), a not so kosher developer. They are responsible for the death of his daughter and asked an Albanian gang to scare them a bit, after the couple wanted to take legal actions. His wife is killed by the Albanians and they leave him for dead behind. The only goal in Victor's life is to make the gang , and mainly Alphonse,suffer with as much pain as possible, for the death of his family.However all his planning gets deranged by the hands of his opposite neighbor Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), who had a severe traffic accident in the past which was caused by a drunk guy. The drunk guy got a light sentence and merrily continues his dissolute life. But Beatrice is maimed for life and has painful scars, both physically and mentally, as a result. Beatrice has evidence in the form of a film on her cell phone that shows how Victor strangled someone in his apartment. She uses this to blackmail Victor, so he would murder the man responsible for the accident.
"Dead Man Down" has a promising start with the gloom, despair and the feelings of revenge as a central subject. It all looks gloomy and mysterious. Not only the two characters Victor and Beatrice take credit for that , but also the used environment and images. The apartment of Victor that looks poor and sober, the fragments in the cemetery where the light from a flashlight is used while searching for the graves of a Hungarian family, the phone-call in the evening of two neighbors on their balcony on the top floor. Everything is soaked in a pool of melancholy and deep-rooted sorrow out of which arises an intense feeling of hate.
Colin Farrell is ideal for this role. He has such a sad look that perfectly suits the person Victor. He must be extremely cold-blooded and reserved so he can empathize with his role as a member of the criminal gang. The sad and silent part of him is again an expression of his immense grief over the loss he has suffered. At times he reminded me of Ryan Gosling in "Drive". A strong piece of acting was when he rejects Beatrice in such a way that he can complete his mission. The combination of determination and helplessness was wonderful to see.
Noomi Rapace, who plays Beatrice, is a kind of replica of him. Just as Lisbeth Salander in "Män som hatar kvinnor" she's a tormented and emotionally marked woman who wants to take revenge on those who have done something to her. Salander took revenge on a perverse and abusive lawyer, while Beatrice on a drunk driver who despite the heavy facts escapes from a heavy punishment. Beatrice is not only scarred emotionally, but also physically . The heavy traffic accident has caused scars in her face, and some surgical procedures were necessary to make her presentable. Initially she seems to be an unperturbed and ruthless person, who is not afraid to extort Victor and use him as a tool to reach her goal. Gradually she evolves into this compassionate and concerned person. The somewhat bizarre relationship that ultimately flows between these two people is touching. However, the friendship shared with Victor Darcy was much more convincing than those with Beatrice . The opening and closing scene was a clear proof of that.
Niels Arden Oplev also happens to be the director of "Män som hatar kvinnor". It was the breakthrough for Noomi Rapace as an international star playing Lisbeth Salander. Also an honorable mention for Isabelle Huppert who played the half-deaf mother of Beatrice. A fairly annoying nosy woman who tried to hook up Victor with her daughter all the time. A terrible moment when she pulls out the photo album to show what a beauty Beatrice actually was. Superbly played anyway.
How convincing and sometimes impressive the beginning of this film was, so terribly quickly it went downhill towards the end. There were some things I had second thoughts about. First, I didn't think the mutilations of Beatrice were that severe that you could see her as a freak or a monstrous person. In my eyes there was still something sweet about her and she was an amiable woman who looked charming. A bit exaggerated to my findings. The moment the recording, that Victor made of a brother of one of the Albanians, was played, was so coincidental and terribly well-timed that it turned out to be completely implausible and ridiculous. That such a dark and melancholy film with a perfectly balanced morbid atmosphere can turn into a purely cheap action-packed monstrosity with all the cliché's of a Schwarzenegger / Stallone action-movie of the 80, was a huge disappointment for me. The end was like an A-team fragment of a jeep crashing into a mansion with huge explosions as a result, an exaggerated display of guns shooting around and loads of ammunition being used with gang members falling down everywhere, a terribly hilarious scene where the two leaders shot each other at the right time and the obvious ending with two bosom friends looking each other in the eyes like rivals. A typical Hollywood spectacle not worthy for this kind of movie. Like in the old musketeer films it was one-against-all again.
"Dead Man Down" had a promising start but dug his own demise by a lousy and rattling end. Oplev was hoping for an American success like his compatriot Refn, but this will not happen with this ordinary film.
stexdo
Boring thriller with a bad script. Farrell has a certain everyman likability in most of his characters but he's not a good actor and he picks bad roles and bad movies very frequently.Earring72
Interesting, slow, dark action drama, well acted and intruiging. Enjoyed it!oleole90
Total waste of time.Angellike
Not to shabby. Not the deepest of plots but by no means the shallowest. I particularly enjoyed the development between Farrels and Rapaces characters, kept me on my seat so to speak.CSSCHNEIDER
I should've turned this off the moment I saw the WWE Films logo.MrDoog
Underwhelming, dull, completely detached from reality and lacks any three dimensional characters.Just awful.