Starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev
Danish director Niels Arden Oplev, best known for helming the original Girl With The Dragon Tattoo film, once again utilizes the talents of Swedish muse Noomi Rapace in his North American début, the crime drama Dead Man Down.
Rapace reprises the role of the victim here as Beatrice, a woman seeking retribution. She blackmails Victor (Farrell), the right-hand man of New York City crime lord Alphonse (Terrence Howard), after she uncovers a very dark secret.Victor is also hell-bent on exacting his own revenge on Alphonse and once Beatrice begins to understand his sordid past, the pair forms an unlikely alliance.
Fringe executive producer J.H.Wyman is responsible for the script which, although clunky at times, does manage to weave an effective little thriller.The chemistry and romantic tension between the leads is very effective; Farrells steely eyes command a vicious intensity, while Rapace exudes a beautiful sadness. Watch for solid but underused roles from veterans F. Murray Abraham and Armand Assante while the scene-stealing Dominic Cooper is excellent as Farrells criminal partner.
Oplev keeps the camera angles dynamic with some well-staged action and Paul Camerons cinematography soaks the film in a noirish cloak, befitting of the mood. A bloated mid-section hurts the movie and the story gets crowded as Wyman clearly had issues balancing dual revenge stories. Dead Man Down lacks the visceral punch and tightly wound screenplay of the filmmakers last picture but it does hold a few surprises and succeeds largely thanks to a strong cast.
