Dead Man Down (A)

The trailers for Dead Man Down suggest is is a stylish revenge tale with Taken-esque action scenes. I think the rather underwhelming reaction to the picture has to do with the inaccurate genre the marketing placed this film in. Dead Man Down is a slow, suspenseful thriller that is firmly based in characters. It provides an excellent look at depression, grief, and friendship. The revenge plot is almost a side story.

Dead Man Down has so many twists and turns that I can barely say anything about the plot without giving something away. This is what I can tell you without spoiling any more than was in the trailer: The protagonist is a man who calls himself Victor. He is part of a crime syndicate led by an ambitious, stylish, and ruthless gangster named Alfonse Hoyte (one of only two black characters, both of whom are bad). Victor is (maybe) romancing a woman named Beatrice, who has a dark past represented by a few facial scars. Not much to go on, but trust me: You don’t want spoilers.
The story is written by J.H. Wyman, who has done some TV writing and producing but has little credited work in film. In fact, his last credited movie was Gore Verbinski’s The Mexican back in 2001. I hope he does not wait as long to write his next picture. His story is something special: A thriller where you care about the characters. Deeply. They aren’t just avatars for video-game esque violence: Victor and Beatrice seem like real-life, breathing people with a history and emotions. If it weren’t for this, it would be impossible to care enough to handle the slightly-implausible and very complicated plot (Wyman's TV background shows; this movie has enough material that it could have been a good series or mini-series). Wyman might cop out a tiny bit at the end with a too-tidy conclusion, but this is a small flaw, and by that point the audience should be involved enough in the story to ignore a slight change in tone.

Part of the reasons Wyman’s script works is because of the acting. As Victor, Colin Farrell is doing his normal sad-guy schtick, but that is what is required here. Beatrice, on the other hand, is a more complex role and one that needed a fantastic performance to work. Fortunately, the role went to Noomi Rapace, the star of Prometheus and the Swedish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Rapace’s Hollywood career is fairly new (up until 2010, almost all of her movies were Swedish), but it undoubtedly shows promise. Her ability to convey dozens of emotions at once, to constantly be interesting, and to have a character that seems both likeable and flawed is incredible. She has yet to be recognised by a major award ceremony, but it is unlikely she won’t have at least an Oscar nomination and maybe even a win within the next five years.
The rest of the supporting cast is great as well. Alfonse Hoyte is not as pivotal a character as the advertising would make you believe, but Terrence Howard gives him extra depth (if Howard has ever given a bad performance, I haven’t seen it). French actress Isabelle Huppert has a throw-away role as Beatrice’s deaf mother, but the character is fascinating and her performance is so touching that her scenes are actually the most memorable. Practically non-existent in the picture’s marketing is Dominic Cooper, who has a very important role as Victor’s friend who knows nothing of Victor’s past. The role would be good with anyone, but Cooper makes it all the better.

Danish director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) helms the project. Oftentimes when promising foreign directors move to Hollywood they quickly pick big-budget blockbuster and their style never translates (Daniel Espinosa’s Safe House comes to mind). For Oplev it is the opposite: Choosing a smaller film where he can have more creative control, he takes the best parts of his lower-budget, ultra-violent foreign work while knowing that the graphic material acceptable in Scandinavia is unacceptable for international audiences. Oplev’s talent is best visible in the action sequences, which are fast-paced, gritty, violent, and (for the most part) believable; it is also worth remembering that if it weren’t for his direction and editing the acting might not seem so flawless. His biggest mistake is the make-up he chose for Rapace to wear as Beatrice: Her facial scars are a critical part of the story, but honestly they don’t look all that horrifying. In fact, you barely notice them.
Oplev and cinematographer Paul Cameron (Man on Fire) chose an interesting color scheme and composition for their cinematography: The images are sleek and stylish but at the same time look faded, dull, and almost like you would see on an old VHS tape. This doesn’t always work, but I think it provides a nice backdrop to the underlying themes in the film. This is not a revenge fantasy: It is a look at depression and grief. How does one move on when everything in life has lost its luster? How can one find friendship when they feel like they don’t even care anymore? These are the questions this film asks, and the answers it gives are compelling and moving.
Dead Man Down is a slow, suspenseful, and emotional thriller/drama; you don’t come across movies like this every day.