I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
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Movie Reviews of I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Movie Review: I'm sorry . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
God, I feel bad. This was one of the best movies I've ever seen; judging from the reviews here, I need to get out more!
I loved it. This is a moody drama of revenge--both outward for a brother's death--and an inwardly directed rage at a life wasted. The acting was top-notch. The ambiguous ending fit the film quite well. Interestingly, the reaction of my fellow reviewers matched mine towards another Clive Owen movie Closer(I think that was him) which is on my all-time worst movie list--a growing one. The atmospherics of I'll Sleep When I'm Dead match The Limey: the timeless story of revenge--a meal best had on a full stomach(or was that an empty stomach).
Movie Review: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great movie... if you like British mystery/gangster movies. Clive Owen is wonderfully understated. J. Rhys Meyers is perfect in his role of the immature, reckless younger brother. All casting is amazing except for Charlotte Rampling, who is too old for the part. The ending is unconventional. If you love Clive Owen, then you should have a copy of this film.Movie Review: A slow moving neo-noir that decidedly takes it time
Summary: 4 Stars
The starting point for "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" happened years before this 2004 film begins when Will Graham (Clive Owen) decided to disappear. We gather that in former times he was pretty high up in a crime organization and that the time came when he was sickened by either what he was doing or who he had become, so he walked away and disappeared. He works as a laborer, but since he does not have papers gigs never last long. From time to time he checks in with the brother the left behind, Davey (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Being let go by his current employer, Will become concerned when he cannot reach Davey by phone, so he risks a trip home. After all, he has a scraggly beard and does not look like the dapper gangster he used to be. So he comes home and finds out that Davey killed himself.
At first Will does not believe his brother would have committed suicide, and he gets the results of a second autopsy. The forensic evidence suggests a surprising reason for why Davey would have slit his own throat. We are surprised as well, even though we saw most of what happened to Davey. It takes Will a while to digest this startling information, but once he does his quiet life as a forgotten man takes a back seat to finding out who is responsible for Davey's death and killing them. His ex-girlfriend, Helen (Charlotte Rampling), begs him to just leave and disappear again and it seems to me that he is sort of willing to make a concession to her demands: he is only going to kill one man and one dog. Not surprisingly, Helen is not pleased by the specificity of his kill list.
That might not be possible, because once it is known in underworld circles that Will is back in town, that seems to start some ripples that could cause problems. But Will is so methodical and so focused that there is an air of inevitability to his mission. It is just that Will is so glacial in his anger and his actions that you can almost feel your pulse slow to match his heartbeat, and some of you are not going to like that. No wonder this is a neo-noir in which the pivotal scenes are a pair of conversations rather than a gunfight or anything more exciting. The first is when Will talks to the pathologist (John Surman) who explains what the evidence suggests happen to Davey before he killed himself. Coroners and the like are almost always presented as being, to say the least, decidedly weird, but this guy is so straight forward and considerate in his detailing of the unsettling information that he constitutes a breath of fresh air. Things were still moving too slowly at that point, but from that moment on I was interested in what was going to happen next.
The second conversation is when Will finally comes face to face with the man he is going to kill. Again, screenwriter Trevor Preston ("Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire") and director Mike Hodges ("Black Rainbow") come up with something a bit different, namely some honesty. You have seen enough confrontations between the hero and the bad guy, and I am often reminded at such times of the "Saturday Night Live" skit where the James Bond villains do a seminar and they all agree at such moments just shut up and kill the guy (without using lasers or anything else that is to fancy). So a direct conversation that cuts to the heart of the matter at hand is refreshing as well. Finally, just because you make a specific threat does not mean that it is a binding contract. After all, taking your time does not mean you have to take all of the time that you have allotted for a mission of vengeance.
Movie Review: actions speak louder than words
Summary: 4 Stars
this movie is going to split film fans and critics everywhere. for those wanting an updated "get carter", and for those wanting more of the "croupier" magic, both will be disappointed to an extent, and exposed to a different type of psychological, gangster film. fans of film (like myself) are essentially voyeurs, we like to watch things good and bad. this film by legendary british director mike hodges (flash gordon, get carter, a prayer for the dying, croupier) treats us as such. as the filmwatcher, you are rendered a witness to the film and its characters. you are there to watch and draw you own conclusions as to why the events of the film happened the way they do, because only the characters actions, and expressions tell the story. the story is simple, and my version is open to debate. clive owen plays will graham, a once formidable london mob boss, enforcer type. one day three years ago, graham severs all ties to his london life, and retreats to the north of the uk to live reclusively in a van. graham leaves behind his little brother davey(jonathan rhys-meyers), his family sidekick mickser(jamie foreman), his girlfriend helen(the always alluring and classy charlotte rampling), and his former partners in crime. while graham lives in seclusion, life in london goes on. davey becomes a bit of a hustler, making his living off small narcotics transactions, hustler charm, and good looks. mickser maintains his postion as a bottom feeder with limited ties to the underworld, and with a heart of gold. mickser becomes daveys big brother for the vacant will. helen retreats to her buisness as proprietor of an upscale restaurant. all go on with life, but are constantly pondering why will left.
enter boad(played with apathetic menace by malcolm mcdowell). boad and his henchmen prowl the london night searching for victims. one night they strategically hunt, and capture davey. daveys shock to his assault, leads him to a tragic result.
will returns to london with one thing on his mind, what happened? will has to face his old friends, his crew, and his guilt over not being there to protect his brother. his friends colleauges, will all interpret his return differently. some act as if no time was lost, some want answers from will, and others see his return as a threat. add all of these elements together, and you have one of the most subtle, understated thrillers in film history. outstanding cinematography, and stylish appearance highlight an overall outstanding film experience.
Movie Review: Ease Up On The Anticlimactic, Will You?
Summary: 4 Stars
Man, any legit cinema lover will be able to appreciate the meditative side of cinema, as long as it's done with panache and a direct angle. A film from Mike Hodges, especially a revenge film like this, seems to enlist the biggest amount of help from the atmospherics. Pretty much every film of his has just... SUMPTUOUS cinematography. So carefully orchestrated that it had to be storyboarded, right? Most times, actually, no-- he doesn't.
Clive Owen is a former hitman in hiding, brought out to avenge the death of his little brother, Davey. He revisits his old colleagues, whom seem to think that he is apt to handle this situation and no other. As his personal investigation progresses, he learns that Davey was actually raped hours prior to his suicide. An extended section explicates the nature of rape, male-on-male, and how it usually has little to do with sexual satisfaction and almost everything to do with debase power. Now knowing that foul play was involved, Owen alters his scraggly Yukon veneer, slicks himself up, and does the job that he does best.
No, his revenge is not a roaring rampage. It is simple, direct, and never waivers. So, describe the film in this manner, as well. Funny, being that the title "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" sounds like a head-cracking, bullet-riddled Lee Marvin showcase from the '70s, right? Well, that's not what you're going to get, but the result is very good, nonetheless. Many viewers will not be satisfied with the impetus of the rape itself, but don't forget that the most disturbing crimes have either no explanation, or one that is of such simplicity that it baffles you how they could take it so far to begin with. In this case, it happens because of a personal grudge, plain and simple. You'd be amazed what an Everyperson with a grudge is capable of (the Iraq invasion, ahem).
I guess I'm just sick and tired of people needing loud sounds and exaggerated actions in order to keep them engaged in a film. But thanks to directors like Hodges, the rewarding stimulation is intelligent, paired-down drama with explanations that are more implied than thrown in your face. What's wrong with leaving a few unanswered questions post-closure?
Actually, 4.5 stars. Recommended.