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Before the Devil Knows You're Dead 2008
Features a spine tingling cast; Philip Seymour Hoffman is Andy, a frustrated, drug-abusing stockbroker who is unable to please his wife Gina – played by Marisa Tomei. Gina’s lover is Andy’s brother; the broke Hank – played by Ethan Hawk. Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris, the brother’s parents, run a jewelry store.
The crime, a heist from their parents own store, is Andy’s idea and he convinces the timid Hank it’s the only way out of their problems.
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Amy Ryan, Rosemary Harris
Directed by Sidney Lumet ('12 Angry Men', 'Long Day's Journey Into Night', 'Serpico', 'Murder on the Orient Express', 'Dog Day Afternoon', 'Network', 'Q&A')
Written by Kelly Masterson
Festivals & Awards Best Ensemble Cast; Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2007, Gotham Awards 2007
Thriller, Crime, Drama | 1hr 57mins | Rated (R16) | Violence, Offensive Language, Drug Use & Sex Scenes | Origin: USA, UK
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Flicks review
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Despite its plain face, the modest Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead still manages to be tense, brutal and shocking. The pervasive depressing tone combines with the slow pace to create a fairly sombre night at the cinema, but it’s a quality night at the cinema nonetheless.
Veteran director Sydney Lumet, now an old man, guides a handful of great actors. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney all turn in strong performances. They’re scumbags, all of them. Watching them interact brings to mind the tragedy of Macbeth, or Hamlet. It’s not as grand, but it’s a family tragedy populated with awful, intriguing people.
And despite his age, Lumet isn’t going all coy on us. He’s not afraid to open with a full-on sex scene with a sweaty, fat Hoffman. He assaults us with violent, erratic, desperate people, and surprises us with the utterly tragic dysfunctionality of the family.
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz
The Peoples voice
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so far the worst movie I have ever seen
1
not much to say.
incredibly constructed acting (Hoffman stands out)
really badly thought and developed script - no relation between events, or events that have no meaning in the overall story.
1990s tv series shooting and music (please listen to it!)
the girl (whose name I don't know)...she is just a piss taking that made me think at some point that the whole movie was a giant parody of itself..which for a second made me believe it was genius..until i realized that there was no purposefullness in her cheasy expressions
sorry..i really dont understand how can you like it. maybe because i'm italian.....By Lucilla bertolli
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dark and disturbing
5
can't give away anything about the story but this one you won't forget. Sydney Lumet has always been great in this genre but this must come out at the top. Finney, Hoffman and Hawke are an amazinging family combo with a very dirty story to tell. I'd easily see again
By Ken Burns
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Pretty impressive performances
4
by Hoffman,Hawke and Albert Finney. But all a bit dark, tho it did hold your attention.
By brian
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What a depressing film
1
This movie has been placed firmly in my 5 worst movies category, right alongside Gangs of New York. It was so bad I had to comment. The acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Albert Finney and Ethan Hawke was amazing. Their characters are absolutely disgusting in very different (and quite cliche) ways. They are everything that is horrible about humanity, and they acted disgusting so well.
As a discussion on families being destroyed by person absolute desire for self interest, this movie is a great success. But frankly, why would you want to watch that? Watch the news.
The bits in the movie that drew me in because the acting from Hoffman were so good, were absolutely destroyed by Melissa Tomei's terrible acting and horribly thought out character.
Ultimately I found this movie boring, disgusting and the characters really hard to relate to. I walked out feeling really depressed. If you are going to watch it, make sure you have the Care Bears movie all ready to go afterwards.By J Turnbull
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Certainly not uplifting, but awesome.
5
Pretty dark, in that each character is despicable in their own way. But very layered and textured and rich and all those words.
An intriguing watch, recommended.By K Pamilion
Press Reviews
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BBC
4 4 out of 5 stars
Judged against Lumet's masterpieces this is middling and he engages in some tricksy editing and a overly complicated and finally irritating flashback/forward structure. But the great strength of Before The Devil... is in its finely calibrated pair of central performances.
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Empire Magazine [UK]
4 4 out of 5 stars
Bleak, brutal and quite possibly brilliant, this is a triumphant return to form for Lumet and further proof that Hoffman is on an incredible winning streak.
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Hollywood Reporter
Pungently atmospheric, brilliantly textured and featuring superb performances from every performer in parts big and small.
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NZ Herlad [Peter Calder]
3 3 out of 5 stars
Cleverly conceived thriller overplays its tricksy narrative but the acting is great.
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Rolling Stone [USA]
A dynamite film that ranks with the year's best.
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The Christchurch Press [Margaret Agnew]
4 4 out of 5 stars
Lumet's slick, non-linear yet efficient storytelling draws you into the family drama masquerading as a crime thriller before you even realise you care what happens to these awful people. The stellar cast lifts this intense drama to fever pitch even as you take in the oddly incongruent tragicomic edge.
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Variety [USA]
The wrenching tale has something for anyone who likes their melodrama spiked with palpable tension and genuine suspense.
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