Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

Director: Shane Meadows

Cast: Paddy Considine as Richard, Gary Stretch as Sonny, Toby Kebbell as Anthony, Jo Hartley as Jo, Seamus O'Neill as Big Al (as Seamus O'Neal), Stuart Wolfenden as Herbie, Paul Sadot as Tuff, Paul Hurstfield as Mark, Emily Aston as Patti, George Newton as Gypsy John, Neil Bell as Soz, Craig Considine as Craig, Matt Considine as Matt, Andrew Shim as Elvis, Arthur Meadows as Mourner

I was starting to give up on British films. They all seem to be too
considered, too focus grouped, too controlled by the marketing mafia.
So it was so very refreshing to see a movie that has the inspired
spontaneity so common in Japanese cinema, but with a very British
story. Shane Meadows uses characters from his own past as source
material, and co-writer Paddy Considine (Richard) based part of the
story on family history, so we have a film that has authentic
characters and authentic, semi-improvised dialogue. The revenge
thriller format has never seemed more sophisticated. Richard's
calculated derangement is balanced by the thuggish banality displayed
by his targets, whose crimes initially seem more like misdemeanors
until the last act. This movie is well paced, laugh out loud funny, and
darkly menacing as it proceeds inexorably to its grim conclusion. If
only more British films were like this, we might even have a film
industry. It shows that the only way to make good films in the UK is to
do it behind the studio's backs!