Review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) by Ben B — 14 Sep 2016

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a crime drama directed by Sidney Lumet and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Marisa Tomei. Andy (Hoffman), in a strained marriage with Gina (Tomei) and struggling financially, recruits his younger brother, Hank (Hawke), to commit a robbery. Revealing any additional info would spoil the movie, so I'll leave it at that.

The best aspect of this movie is its quality acting. PSH was always reliable when it came to delivering a well-developed character, and this movie is no exception. Marisa Tomei also gives a strong performance and had great chemistry with both Hoffman and Hawke, who was ok. I also really enjoyed the story and it's twists and turns along the way. Lumet did a great job pacing this movie to keep things interesting throughout; I never felt bored with the 2-hour runtime.

The one big negative I have with this movie is the non-sequential execution. I'm not opposed to movies that aren't presented in chronological order, but only when it's used in an effective way to reveal plot information. The first half of this movie leading up to the events of the robbery is great because the sequencing works well with the information being presented. It's the second half of the movie after the robbery when the sequencing feels more like a gimmick than an effective tool.

Overall, this is an enjoyable crime film. If you like PSH, you'll really appreciate his performance here. It's not a masterpiece, but Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is worth a watch.

Final grade: B.

-Ben.