Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

From my favorite movies..

Boring

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

As a last film for a truly legendary director, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead can only be described as a haunting, underrated masterpiece that any viewer will not soon forget. The film consists of an all-star cast, including the likes of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney. Even Michael Shannon shares a brief, but memorable, bit of run time. The casting was excellent all around and there were no characters that felt out of place or unnecessary to the story. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke specifically were the best either of them have ever been. The solid script and carefully written dialogue shared between the two main characters delivers some of the film's most riveting moments. And the "car scene" is one of Hoffman's most memorable on-screen moments. Those of you who have seen the film will know what I am referring to and those unaware are in for a treat.The story, while simple and admittedly not too original, manages to effectively show the characters' descent into violence and madness while jumping to before and after the event in which the movie revolves around. While sometimes the movie holds our hand a little too much with the story telling, I appreciated the fact that this movie wanted us to never be confused or lost within the time-jumping narrative. I was always aware of where our characters were and what point of the story I was witnessing.Now I have seen many comparisons between this film and the masterpiece known as Fargo, and while it shares the same theme of "simple crime gone horribly wrong" Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is not a darkly comedic venture. In fact, this movie is rarely anything but somber and hopeless. This is not a bad thing though as it seems that this was the director's intent. Delivering a powerful message through spurts of violence and intensity while never straying from the realm of reality within the movie. The violence and thrills are handled very well and are, at times, extremely intense.Now with all that said, there is only one thing that stopped the movie from being perfect and that is the ending. Normally when following characters throughout a movie we like to see how their story ends. It is common in all basic story telling. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough, especially if we are following a certain character throughout the entire film. Viewers want to know what happened to the character they have been following for the past two hours, but this movie denies you of that. It leaves the fate of the character out of view, and while that works for some movies, I sadly don't think it was the right choice here. Seeing all the things that this character has gone through and leaving it unfinished before the movie is over feels incredibly abrupt and doesn't fit with the rest of the movie. Despite this issue, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is a masterpiece from a truly talented director. A tight written script brought together by superb acting and thrills, this is definitely a movie you should make time for.

Sidney Lumet's 2007 film "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a drama/crime thriller about two brothers who decide to solve their money problems by robbing a jewelry store, and not just any jewelry store. It's a "victimless crime" argues the older brother and mastermind (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). The younger brother (Ethan Hawke) is hoodwinked into the harebrained scheme, but makes the mistake of adding a third person to the mix. From there it's a steady downward spiral.Marisa Tomei plays Seymour's wife and, although her character is shallow, materialistic and immoral, Marisa never looked better (at 42). She appears in a couple of very adult-oriented scenes, so stay away if that deters you.Albert Finney plays the grieving and vengeful father.The story is akin to 1998's "A Simple Plan" in regards to a money-making scheme gone awry. The difference is that the loot in "A Simple Plan" was drug money from a crashed plane and was basically up for grabs. Consequently, the characters are never viewed as criminals by viewers; they're just regular folks taking advantage of a pot of gold thrown into their laps. It's their lust for filthy lucre that is their downfall.By contrast, the scheme in "Before the Devil" is a clear-cut crime right out of the gate, even though Hoffman justifies it as victimless. With the possible exception of the whimpering Hawke character none of the people win the viewer's sympathy. They're getting exactly what they deserve.Another problem is the ending. The scenario in the hospital room is unrealistic. A 3/5 Star review by a physician gives the details of why this entire scene is implausible. Check it out (Amazon reviewer Judith S. Inouye, June 2, 2008).That said, the film is expertly made. Roger Ebert gave it a perfect score. Some complain about the mixing of chronology, but I found the story structure well done, interesting and easy-to-follow.The main problem is that the film revels in the worst in humanity. Take, for instance, Hawke's ex-wife who can't say one word to him without cussing and sheer antagonism. Or how about a peripheral character's brother who seeks to extort money from Hawke, an obnoxious tough guy who evidently thinks he's immortal (Michael Shannon)? Or what about the father, Albert Finney: Can the tragic events in the story be an opportunity for him to search his own heart and work toward positive changes, investigate the "sins of the fathers", discuss things, etc.? Forget it. With the possible exception of one character these people are too far gone.So what's the point? Don't commit crimes to make fast cash? Don't develop an expensive drug habit? Don't marry a selfish, unfaithful, materialistic woman? Don't marry a witch with a capital 'B'? The sins of the father will pass on and multiply? Arrogant tough guys must die? Some people live off the evil of others? Perhaps all the above."Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a hard film to rate. It's well made and maintains your interest. Most importantly, it lingers with you, which is the main reason I recommend it. It offers wisdom to stay on the straight and narrow. But, come on, can't we have ONE person with redeemable qualities, even if it's an enlightened change of heart? Thankfully, one person might fit this description at the end. I give it a B+ but I can understand why some rate it lower and others higher.The film runs 117 minutes and was shot in Queens, Manhattan and White Plains, NY.

The title of the movie is taken from an Irish toast: "May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head; may you be 40 years in heaven, before the devil knows you're dead." An interesting insight when you consider that the film starts with the melancholy of a Yeats and gets more ominous by the film's end. More ominous still is despite being one of director Sidney Lumet's strongest films, it was also his last. Lumet died of Cancer April 9, 2011 leaving behind a legacy of marvelous films including 12 Angry Men (1957), Network (1976), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and The Verdict (1982).Before the Devil Knows You're Dead seemingly came out of nowhere. Lumet's last feature was the little seen Vin Diesel vehicle Find Me Guilty (2006), which while being criminally underrated, is far from a masterpiece. While a confectioner of New York grit and a worthy contributor to the post-studio era of American films, even devotees like myself have to admit Lumet was a bit of a has been by the year 2000. He limped along making mediocre fare suitable for TV as opposed to large movie screens. Even during his heyday Critic Pauline Kael called his films counterfeit and Lumet himself a poor craftsman, "prodigal with bad ideas…" If Kael were alive today she may have to eat crow given the directorial mastery present in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Everything from the acting to the editing to the cinematography is just a joy to watch and the results are so emotionally shocking that it's hard not to appreciate the man and his "poor craftsmanship". Lumet put his all into making Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and it shows. It brings to mind some of his non-flagship films like Long Day's Journey into Night (1962) and Prince of the City (1981) only with the added bonus of digital film techniques.But what exactly is this film about? I hear you cry. Well the storyline is relatively simple; two brothers (Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman) are in need of some quick cash for various reasons and decide to rob a strip mall jewelry store. It's supposed to be a bloodless, victimless crime but things never go the way they should in films like these. Both Hawke and Hoffman do excellent jobs and are further bolstered by the likes of Marisa Tomei, Michael Shannon and an unforgettable performance by Albert Finney, the twos' father.The editing cuts back and forth between the past and present to design a collage of violence, affecting drama and grief. While jarring at first, the back and forth creates a fractured dialogue in your head. As soon as things start to settle, we are taken to another part of the journey and forced to piece things together. It's a movie that took thought and therefore requires you to put thought into your viewing. Even if the story was told straight from beginning to end, it would still be devastating to watch; it'd just seem longer to get to the story's jarring climax.The less I say about Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, the better. I implore you, beseech you, dare you to just see this film. The movie may sound bleak but in a story where no one seems to come up on top, the audience certainly benefits. That and the esteemed Sidney Lumet who gets one last gem past the critics.http://www.theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is a wonderfully done, but definitely heavy film where one bad decision leads to mayhem and tragedy. The plot sounds familiar, and in many ways this reminds me of both A Simple Plan and Fargo, but without any humor. By the end, it definitely feels heavy but also worth it. The cast is fantastic here though, most notably Finney and Hoffman, the latter of whom I think is one of the best actors working today, if not the best when it comes to complete filmography and how consistent his performances are. The only one who comes off too cartoonish here is Marisa Tomei. I thought she was great in some scenes, sort of over-doing it in others. Overall, this is fantastic, one of the best of 2007 and I cannot believe it took me this long to watch it.