Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Thank God for Fast Forward should've been the title!

Too make this short and bittersweet: Before the Devil Knows Your Dead is virtually unwatchable. Lumet relied on a lazy and tiresome series of flashbacks (think Vantage Point which does the same and is equally unwatchable) to tell the most depressing and unrealistic story I've ever been asked to suspend my disbelief for. The flashbacks are the laziest and most annoying way to try and narrate a story and it winds up being tedium instead of building drama. I will forget this garbage and instead remember Lumet for his earlier masterpieces. July 31, 2008

Depressing, dark and hopeless

While I normally like Lumet's work, this movie was utterly without any sense of hope. As such, it was an exercise in depression. Hawke and Hoffman's characters were without any meaningful redeeming virtues. This was apparently supposed to convey a sense of realism, but it comes across as "reality" TV. If you want to be depressed, watch this film. If you're seeking to be entertained, buy something else. July 31, 2008

Hoffman Shines Again

This film was on my list of most over-looked of 2007 along with "The Lookout". While it did receive some critical acclaim, it certainly didn't last in the theaters for that long. Hopefully, many more people will "discover" this on DVD.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman once again demonstrates why he is the best American actor living. Certainly he gets appropriate recognition for performances like "Capote", but we also take many of his performances for granted -- like this one and movies like "Owning Mahowny". For any other actor, this would have been an Oscar worthy role -- for Hoffman, we routinely expect this level of performance.

Others have delved into the plot so I won't go deeply into it. Hoffman and Hawke play brothers ostensibly at the opposite end of the spectrum -- one fairly successful (hoffman) and the other a pretty dumb guy, in debt to his ex-wife and struggling to make ends meet (Hawke). However, Hoffman's character has an expensive drug addiction and a failing relationship with his wife (played superbly by Marisa Tomei).

Hoffman proposed a pretty safe robbery for a jewelery store in suburban Westchester to instantly get them cash to ease their financial woes. The one catch -- the store is owned and operated by their parents. The robbery goes awry and we see the devastating after effects on the brothers along with their father (Albert Finney).

The only small critique I have about this film is that the time-shifting technique, seeing the story unfold from each character's perspective, is getting quite common and doesn't really add any dimension to the film. I certainly think the film would have worked in a more conventional linear story telling fashion. However, I don't think this choice negatively impacted the film.

Ultimately, this is a film well worth seeing for the great directing by Sidney Lumet, superb lead and supporting performances and well-written screenplay. I wish this had achieved more commercial success, but it is a gem nonetheless. July 28, 2008

IS IT JUST ME - OR IS ETHAN HAWKE THE SLIMIEST LOOKING ACTOR IN THE WORLD????????

I had the misfortune to purchase this movie at Blockbuster this weekend out of the bin 3 for $20 . . . While I love Sidney Lumet - when people describe this as a dark film - that is a complete understatement! Even Albert Finney (the true victim in this film) is totally unlikeable. As for the two brothers - I have long wondered what ANYONE could ever see in Ethan Hawke - he is so hideous to look at! I would rather look at Phillip Seymour Hoffman naked anyday- and believe me that is not a sight I ever want to see again, either. The acting and directing was first rate but all of the characters were so utterly devoid of any shred of decency - it was sooooooo dark and when it was over I just sat there wondering why I watched the whole thing. Don't bother - but if you have to rent it DON'T be stupid enough to buy it at ANY price! July 28, 2008

Grim, depressing film of the death of a horrible family

Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a two-hour romp for any sadist who revels in emotional rather than physical torment. It's hard to say if this is a good movie - I am in such a foul mood after watching it that I can't appreciate its merits.

I guess if the movie aims to make you depressed, and you emerge depressed, then it must be good. Oh well.

A first-rate cast elevates a dark story. Two brothers, Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke), are circling their respective drains. On the surface, Hank is the worse off - divorced and crippled by child support payments and an incapacity to think for himself. Andy is apparently more successful - a high-flying corporate executive, married to Marisa Tomei (who we see a *lot* of), and suave in his chunky way. But in many ways, Andy is much worse off.

To save themselves, Andy and Hank agree to rob their parents' suburban jewelry store. This goes badly, and the movie follows Hank and Andy's downfall. This is dark, tortured stuff as the botched crime rips open old family wounds and exposes new secrets.

This is a feel-bad movie. Unfortunately, unlike "Boys Don't Cry," this isn't a great feel-bad movie. A chopped chronology reeks of dozens of indy movies since "Pulp Fiction," and there is hardly a moment of hope or levity to lighten the mood one iota. Save for the good performances, this movie is not a recommendation. July 27, 2008

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