Product Description: Image Ent. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Blu-ray] Sidney Lumets Before the Devil Knows Youre Dead isan exceptionally dark story about a crime gone wrong and the complicated reasons behind it. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke are outstanding asbrothers whose mutual love-hate relationship subtly colors their agreement to rob their own parents jewelry store, and more explicitly affects the anxious aftermath of their villainy when their mother (Rosemary Harris) ends up shot. Hoffmans steely, emotionally locked-up Andy, despite pulling down six figures as a corporate executive, is supporting an expensive drug habit while trying to leave the country with his depressed wife, Gina (Marisa Tomei). Hank (Hawke), a whipped dog of low intelligence, owes back alimony and child support to his ex-spouse. Both men need money and agree to rip off their parents' business, a decision that goes awry and puts both men in various kinds of jeopardy while their mother remains comatose and their father (Albert Finney) lurches along trying to make sense of anything. Writer Kelly Masterson's screenplay employs a perhaps now-overly-familiar time-shifting tactic, jumping around the chronology of the story's events and replaying scenes from differentvantage points. The effect is a little tedious but successfully deconstructs the film's drama in a way that shows how such terrible events are directly linked to family dysfunction, old wounds between parent and child, between siblings, that fester into full-blown tragedy. Eighty-three-year-old director Lumet (Serpico) employs bleached colors and scenes of blunt sexuality and violence, adding to the moral rudderlessness and banality of this airless world. If Devil feels a little reductive and insistently grim, it is also a generally persuasivework by an old master.
Amazon.com: Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is an exceptionally dark story about a crime gone wrong and the complicated reasons behind it. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke are outstanding as brothers whose mutual love-hate relationship subtly colors their agreement to rob their own parents’ jewelry store, and more explicitly affects the anxious aftermath of their villainy when their mother (Rosemary Harris) ends up shot. Hoffman’s steely, emotionally locked-up Andy, despite pulling down six figures as a corporate executive, is supporting an expensive drug habit while trying to leave the country with his depressed wife, Gina (Marisa Tomei). Hank (Hawke), a whipped dog of low intelligence, owes back alimony and child support to his ex-spouse. Both men need money and agree to rip off their parents' business, a decision that goes awry and puts both men in various kinds of jeopardy while their mother remains comatose and their father (Albert Finney) lurches along trying to make sense of anything. Writer Kelly Masterson's screenplay employs a perhaps now-overly-familiar time-shifting tactic, jumping around the chronology of the story's events and replaying scenes from different vantage points. The effect is a little tedious but successfully deconstructs the film's drama in a way that shows how such terrible events are directly linked to family dysfunction, old wounds between parent and child, between siblings, that fester into full-blown tragedy. Eighty-three-year-old director Lumet (Serpico) employs bleached colors and scenes of blunt sexuality and violence, adding to the moral rudderlessness and banality of this airless world. If Devil feels a little reductive and insistently grim, it is also a generally persuasive work by an old master. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Mining The Depths Of Stupidity
Listen, Man. This sure had all the indicators of a promising few hours, with the cast and director having proved themselves through the years. It's impossible to feel any sympathy for any of the characters ... Read More
Rating: - Depressing, but Strangely Beautiful
I won't go into too much detail, because some better reviewers than myself have already summed up this great movie perfectly. Superb acting all-around makes this movie great. Albert Finney is one of the greatest ... Read More
Rating: - Before the Devil Knows Your're Dead
The work of Sidney Lumet is just fantastic. His direction is so insightful. The cast was wonderful too especially Philip Seymour Hoffman. Is there any part he can't breathe life into. It is a great film.
Rating: - You have about 30 Minutes in Heaven Before the Devil knows you're Dead!
Sidney Lumet, the acclaimed director responsible for "Serpico" and "12 Angry Men" returns with another thrilling slice of human drama in "BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD". The man definitely knows how to make ... Read More
Rating: - The GREAT Sidney Lumet Strikes Again!
The amazing career of Sidney Lumet is Hollywood legend, and at age 82, he's as fresh as ever. He's transcended the current trends, whether the "in your face" drama of the 50's (12 Angry Men), faithful adaptations ... Read More
![: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BII5fewBL._SL160_.jpg)
- Mining The Depths Of Stupidity
- Depressing, but Strangely Beautiful
- You have about 30 Minutes in Heaven Before the Devil knows you're Dead!