Film review: Dead Man Down

MANILA, Philippines - Since I watched Colin Farrell as a relatively new Hollywood actor in Phone Booth, one of his earlier films, he has become unforgettable to me. Not just because he’s good-looking, he is also a compelling performer and a good one.

Through the years, as Colin made a name in Hollywood and his pay check increased, the Irish actor also dabbled in other memorable portrayals. He starred with Al Pacino in The Recruit. He played the title role in the biopic Alexander. He also did action in the crime drama SWAT.

Colin’s latest film is Dead Man Down, a crime thriller that has revenge on its main agenda. If you are not familiar about the story, you will easily ask why the film was titled as such. The entire plot revolves around one man and his quest for justice, to avenge the death of his wife and daughter.

Colin plays the Hungarian Lazlo Kerick who moves to America with his family. Two years later, however, after his wife and daughter were killed, he changes his name to Victor and works as the right-hand man of Alphonse, a ruthless crime lord in New York City (played by Terrence Howard).

The story grows on you as you learn the reason why Victor wants to kill the mafia boss he works for. Mid-way into the film, Victor attempts to kill Alphonse with a sniper gun while the latter is inside a restaurant, but Victor fails.

He gets drawn to his neighbor, Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), a beautician who makes him an offer he cannot ignore. She earlier witnessed him kill a man inside his apartment and captured it on videotape. Interestingly, her agenda is also revenge for the man who disfigured her. Apparently, Victor and Beatrice share a mutual payback desire so they had no choice but to work together.

As he plots his own vendetta, Victor kidnaps the brother of an Albanian mobster Ilir and pits him purposely against Alphonse. Victor originally plans to make rats eat his bloodied victim, but ends up shooting him instead to make his death instant.

Throughout his hidden agenda, Victor gets a trusted ally in Darcy (Dominic Cooper), who earlier surmised that the man threatening to kill Alphonse is Lazlo Kerick, not knowing Victor’s real identity. But Victor spares Darcy in the midst of the killings.

Towards the end, Beatrice gets kidnapped by Alphonse’s men, that’s why Victor sets out to rescue her. Subsequently, tension ensues between the Albanians and Alphonse’s men. Throughout the intricate twists, revenge is served for Victor.

Dead Man Down is directed by Swedish megman Niels Arden Oplev, a new name when it comes to Hollywood action thrillers. The film is Oplev’s American film debut. The dark and action-packed crime thriller, scripted by Joel Howard Wyman (The Mexican), is loaded with violence and lots of foul language.

Although the film does not boast of a powerhouse cast, Colin’s co-stars are all accomplished actors. As the boss of a crime syndicate, Terrence as Alphonse figures in a death scene that is anti-climactic and too simple, being the main villain in the story.

F. Murray Abraham and Armand Assante were made to play cameos. They had one confrontation scene and their roles ended. French actress Isabelle Huppert as the deaf mother of Beatrice, provided light moments in the story that is filled with escalating tension.

Colin still looks good even when he’s covered with blood or writhing in pain while fighting his enemies. The film required him with minimal dialogue, but he was able to exact his vengeance clearly.

In trying other genres when he’s making a movie, Colin can perhaps do a love story one day, maybe a romantic comedy or a serious role that is a tearjerker. He’s still relatively young so there’s a lot of room for experimenting and doing other film projects.