Review of Dead Man Down (2013) by Nathan L — 17 Mar 2013

Dead Man Down represents perhaps the most odd blending of film styles in a thriller this year, and with mixed results.

The story, cliched in many respects, is not without it's interesting elements. This is perhaps where the foreign director's touch is felt the most, with a very European sensibility with its scene set up, seemingly completely uninterested in pace, and far more interested in building slow momentum and character intrigue through the use of long scenes. This, unfortunately, doesn't work well on the whole, and makes the film feel sluggish.

The screenplay has often terrible dialogue and sloppy plot twists. It does have some more competent elements, but is notably unpolished and is the worst thing about the film. Having said that, however, the actors manage to lift the material up through their delivery, and save what would otherwise be a hopelessly inept story.

It has a certain cinematography that is reminiscent of Michael Mann in a polished, saturated, yet realist way. This gives the film an atmospheric tone that is felt throughout, and weights the film to a grittier level than it would otherwise be. That is to say, the film undoubtedly looks and feels better than the actual material and execution would suggest.

Overall, it's certainly a mixed bag, but it works well enough to make it a serviceable B thriller.

3/5 Stars.