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Before The Devil Knows
You're Dead
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 123
min.
Release Date:
October 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
When I heard aging director
Sidney Lumet was attached to BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD,
I was dubious about its success. Not because Lumet has any stains on his
record! Quite the contrary. With films like 12 ANGRY MEN,
SERPICO, and FAILSAFE to his astounding credit, he is
well-known as a vintage director of classic melodramas. But his age (83
at the time this film was made) could’ve been a factor; old-style
filmmaker does old-style job again. But any fears were quickly whisked
away once I started watching his latest film.
Not surprisingly, when Hollywood heard the name “Lumet” and that it was
involved with a new movie, several bigshots jumped at the chance to be
in it. And this was a very good thing. Philip Seymour Hoffman (CAPOTE)
heads this all-star melodrama (yes, it’s still a melodrama and that’s a
VERY good thing) alongside Ethan Hawke and the incredibly
sexy Marisa Tomei (WILD HOGS). Forming a kind of triumvirate of misfits, Lumet takes the audience on a wild ride both in terms of how the timing
of the film is laid out (jumping from date to date and perspective to
perspective) and what each of them is up to. Hoffman turns in another
excellent performance as Andy, a man with financial and drug issues and
married to the beautiful Gina (Tomei). Gina is lost amidst her husband’s
distant actions and shut-in existence and finds solace with his brother
Hank (Hawke).
Hank is also having financial woes and isn’t the brightest bulb in the
package. And when his brother Andy (Hoffman) comes to him with a plan to
hold up a jewelry store in order to solve their problems, Andy is
hesitantly for it ...until he learns Andy’s plan is to rob their own
parents’ store. Store owner and parents Charles (Albert Finney,
CORPSE
BRIDE) and Nanette (Rosemary Harris,
SPIDERMAN 3) are completely
oblivious to their son’s plan and when Hank hires a man to help him rob
the store, things go horribly wrong.
It is to Lumet’s credit that he spearheads the issues each character
deals with and does so without extending it/them into boredom; an area
that has plagued many past melodramas. Sexy, dangerous, and
frighteningly realistic, Lumet delivers a film that picks up tension as
the characters spiral out of control. Even Charles (Finney) isn’t immune
to the pressures of these horrific events, finding himself making a
decision no father should ever be in the position of making.
Again, it is to Lumet’s credit that he’s not afraid to move with the
times and show us he knows what works for audiences. The opening sex
sequence will certainly grab many viewers. Lumet also isn’t afraid to
use new technology in his filming; he’s all digital. This speaks to his
understanding of how well he sees filmmaking as an art, which includes
how light falls onto film versus into the digital 1s and 0s.
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Image from Before The
Devil Knows You're Dead
DVD cost: $15.99
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Title taken from the 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."
Movie Quote: "That's
what I said. A Mom and Pop operation."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
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