Review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) by Nathan R — 15 May 2009
Impressively directed by Sidney Lumet (he's 83, you know), this is a thoroughly gripping thriller with a strong script and terrific performances from its two leads. 83-year-old Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon) directs like a man with something to prove, eliciting terrific performances from his actors and orchestrating some superbly suspenseful sequences.
He's aided by a note-perfect script from first time screenwriter Kelly Masterson, which cleverly plays with the film's structure and chronology by replaying various scenes from different perspectives.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is sensational as Andy, a desperate man whose rapid unraveling is genuinely terrifying to watch. Ethan Hawke has the less showy part by comparison but he's equally good and there's also strong support from both Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei, who seems to have suddenly decided to experiment with nudity.
There are several terrific scenes here and the script also manages to pull off enough shocks and twists that you genuinely have no idea how it's going to end, resulting in a nerve-shreddingly tense final act.
Before the Devil Knows Youâ??re Dead is a hugely suspenseful, emotionally devastating thriller with impeccable direction and terrific performances from Hoffman and Hawke. Highly recommended.
This review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) was written by Nathan R on 15 May 2009.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
