By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Mike Hodges
Starring: Clive Owen; Charlotte Rampling; Malcolm McDowell | Jamie Foreman | Jonathan Rhys Meyers | Ken Stott | Sylvia Syms
Country: united_kingdom, united_states
Year: 2004
Running time: 103
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319531/combined
Bruce says: “Director Mike Hodges and Clive Owen scored critical raves for CROUPIER. I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD fuels the argument that lightening rarely strikes twice in the same place. Owen plays Will Graham who is a ‘retired’ mobster who for several years lives alone in the woods, getting in touch with his inner self. One night he witnesses a brutal beating and helps the
victim to a nearby home where medical recourses can be summoned. Suddenly he becomes homesick for his younger brother Davey (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) who shares his attraction to the shadier set but lacks the finesse for the mainstream mobster lifestyle. He is merely a small-time drug dealer hanging out with a well-heeled crowd stuck in the fast lane. By the time Will resurfaces, however, Davey is dead. The rest of the film concerns Will’s revenge.
“Owen’s performances in CROUPIER and CLOSER were sensational but a totally different actor has turned up for this film. Owen plays Will with a dazed and confused look that surely was borrowed from another gig. He does not do his character justice. Perhaps Owen needs to be fired up to turn in a good performance. If that is the case, let’s hope that he sticks to high energy characterizations rather than trying to tackle the sensitive young man, ex-mobster-with-a-heart-of-gold types. Casting Charlotte Rampling as his former girlfriend is ludicrous. She has nothing much to do. Their romantic dialogue is clichéd to the point of being laughable.
“’I thought I’d never see you again. Why are you here, Will?’ ‘You know why.’
“‘I thought you’d want to help.’ ‘I don’t know how to help you.’
“‘Pack your bag. I’ll pick you up in three hours.’ ‘Just like that?’
‘“Get out. If you stay they will destroy you. Why did you do it? You must have had a reason.’ ‘There’s always a reason.’
“Judging by his performance, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers needed a longer break after VELVET GOLDMINE before tackling this role. Malcolm McDowell is an uninteresting villain. The plot is mundane; the script, lackluster; and the cinematography, serviceable. 2 bored cats”