Review of I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003) by Stuart K — 06 Feb 2015

After the eventually success of Croupier (1998), when it finally found it's audience. Director Mike Hodges and star Clive Owen reunited for this dark and brooding thriller, written by British TV writer Trevor Preston (The Tyrant King, The Sweeney and Fox).

It harks back to the themes and motives of revenge and family that Hodges had explored in Get Carter (1971), but it's nowhere near as good. Will Graham (Owen) was once a powerful gangster, but he's turned his back on all of that, and he lives in a van in the middle of a forest.

However, when he hears that his brother Davey Graham (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) has committed suicide. He comes home, but what Will doesn't know is that Davey was abused at the hands of psychotic car dealer Boad (Malcolm McDowell), Will plans a very elaborate revenge.

He gets his old friend Mickster (Jamie Forman) to help find out the best way to find who drove Davey to suicide. Will's reappearance causes local crime lord Frank Turner (Ken Stott) to try and put a stop to Will's crusade for vengeance.

It's a good film, but it could have been a lot better and a lot of themes on display here have been done elsewhere and done better as well, which is a shame considering the brilliant cast that Hodges has put together for this film.

It just feels like he's playing it a bit too safe and he should be taking bigger risks.