March 17, 2013



A drama with a little bit of romance. That’s how I’d describe “Dead Man Down.” It was a simple straight forward plot with no twists, but that’s OK. It still wasn’t bad.



Victor (Colin Farrell), as we learn throughout the film, has infiltrated a crime empire run by a ruthless kingpin, Alfonse (Terrence Howard), in order to get revenge on him for killing his family and leaving him for dead. While he is plotting his revenge, he keeps an eye on the woman who lives in the building across from him, Beatrice (Noomi Rapace). The two often watch each other and wave, but nothing more.



One day, Beatrice, with urging from her mother, leaves a note in Victor’s mailbox for him to call her, which she does. They talk and make plans for a first date. During the date, Beatrice reveals her true intentions of meeting Victor. She witnessed him kill a man, one of the men in the empire who was getting too close to outing him, and she’d like him to kill the man who was drunk when he hit her car and left her scarred both physically and emotionally. At first, Victor says no. But then they talk some more, and he agrees.



However, in time, the two start to get close, to the point where Victor reveals to Beatrice what he is doing to get revenge. While Beatrice thinks they are getting close to falling love, Victor still has his mind on the plan, even if it means killing himself in the process. Despite urging from both Beatrice and his family that his plan is extreme, he keeps his mind on the plan.



The day finally arrives when Victor lures both groups involved in his family’s killing to the warehouse where Alfonse usually meets He sets up explosives and waits, though no one comes. Beatrice reveals to him that she never mailed the important letter he tasked her with, which throws his plans off. Beatrice finds herself kidnapped and Victor must go to Alfonse’s home to save her.



Throw in a few explosions, a few gun fights and a group of Albanians, and that’s it. While this film might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I actually really enjoyed it. I thought Rapace played an excellent woman damaged by the car accident she was in. And the way she tries to ‘win’ Victor’s heart is actually something I feel like every woman can relate to. Farrell plays, well, basically every character he usually plays. A brooding, scorned man looking for revenge. And Howard plays a good bad guy all the way to the end. I also really enjoyed Dominic Cooper, who played Darcy, Victor’s friend in the crime empire group. Their relationship actually shows that Victor was not about the killings, and all about the revenge.