Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

I’m out of energy. 2007 was a long year so I need to just write these last few reviews and put the damn thing to bed. Before the Devil Knows Your Dead was a phenomenal movie that definitely flew in under the radar. It had a big name cast, famous director, and the always-reliable heist storyline but it still never really became a box office success. Even with that the case, it still gets high marks from me.

Although Before the Devil Knows Your Dead would be classified as a heist film, it takes a couple of unexpected turns. First its brothers robbing their own parents, throw in that one of the brothers is a secret heroin addict, and you end with a nice and depressing conclusion. Sidney Lumet keeps everything fresh by splintering the time line and replaying sections of the story from different characters point of views. So you get to hear the other-side of phone conversations later on or discover what someone was doing when they were missing from an important scene. This allowed for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Albert Finney’s characters to all have their arcs fleshed out and make their choices that much more meaningful.

You cannot go wrong with a heist story. Now Before the Devil Knows Your Dead isn’t exactly Ocean’s Eleven, it is much more depressing than happy go lucky. Even with the darker turn of events it is still difficult to turn your eyes away. There is never a point in the movie where the thieves are in control. Hoffman’s character constantly thinks that he is in control of the situation but he is deluding himself. As for Hawke, Hank has never been in control of any part of his life. This robbery held the promise of fixing many of his problems but it just made things worse. It’s fascinating to watch the 2 brothers scramble to pick up the pieces of their lives after the failed heist. And the ending more than lived up to my expectations as everything kept spiraling to this conclusion that I was wondering if the creators had the guts to go through with.

All of the performances were on the money. 2007 was a packed year for Philip Seymour Hoffman so I wouldn’t call this his best work but it was definitely well worth the price of admission. Ethan Hawke seems to be at his best when his character is desperate and over his head. He just reeks of panic throughout the movie. Albert Finney is amazing as the heartbroken father looking for closure. And finally Marisa Tomei is very much naked, very much a lot. I have nothing to add to that. Wait I forgot to mention Beadie pops up as Hank’s ex. Amy Ryan had a nice year.

Let's wrap this up. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead was sweet and should have been seen by a larger audience. Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the best actors working today and solidified that statement with his work in 2007. Hooray and let's move on.

9 out of 10