Review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) by Anton X — 28 Sep 2009

You may be in heaven half an hour...Before The Devil Knows You're Dead.

I had been hearing great things about this for awhile after it's release but hadn't gotten the opportunity to sit down with this flick until just recently. Did it live up to all the hype...well yes and no. It is a good film but it wouldn't have been as good if not for the high caliber performances.

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead is a well crafted crime drama. It is also a welcomed return to form for director Sidney Lumet. Lumet is responsible for such classic films as 12 Angry Men, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon. It starts off by showing the crime and then spends the movie going back and forth between events leading up to it and the events that follow afterwards. Each scene is not over bloated and is fairly quick and to the point. Lumet balances all the drama well and never allows it to bog down the movie. It doesn't hurt that he is working from a great script, written by first time scribe Kelly Masterson.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is brillant as Andy Hanson, the older brother who plans the robbery. Andy is having trouble with his wife, played to perfection by Marisa Tomei, and the two hope to escape their life by leaving the country. The only problem is that Andy doesn't have the money and in addition he also has a drug problem. Andy devices a scheme to rob a mom and pop jewelry store for money.

Enter Ethan Hawke as Andy's brother Hank. Hawke does fine with the role, but it is a less flashy role than Hoffman's. Hawke makes Hank a decent man who is only trying to get money to be a better provider for his daughter and ex-wife, played by the great Amy Ryan. Andy turns to Hank to help him rob the jewelry store. The only problem is that the jewelry store is owned by Andy and Hank's parents, played by Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris. Once the plan goes awry the two brothers find themselves in completely over their heads. In lesser hands Andy would've seemed like the villian of the story, but Hoffman makes him sympathic enough that we can never hate Andy. Hoffman is the center piece of this movie and it all seems to revolve around him.

Albert Finney gives a strong performance Charles Hanson, the father of the two boys. Like most of the characters in this movie there is more to Charles than meets the eye. He seems like a loving father that is unaware of the problems his sons are having, but it is hinted at that he wasn't the greatest father. The scenes he shares with Hoffman are some of the best of the film. It all leads up to an extremely shocking conclusion.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys to see great performances.