Dead Man’s Shoes (2004)

Directed by Shane Meadows

After his second film, ‘Room for Romeo Brass’, director Shane Meadows made a more commercial-type comedy called ‘Once Upon a Time in the Midlands’. I was crazy excited to see it, but was bitterly disappointed – as were most – with the off-beat, off-pitch comedy it was. Once Upon a Time (even Meadows has admitted) didn’t ever really work, and he pretty much quit film-making after it. Several years later, Paddy Considine convinced him to come out of film retirement to make ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’. And I’m so glad he did. This is an amazing film. Some people I’ve spoken too didn’t like the structure, but it worked for me on every level. After this, Meadows directed ‘This is England’ which was also very good, but Dead Man’s Shoes works better for me – and the performances, most notably Toby Kebbell and Paddy Considine, are amazing.