Watch Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
- R
- 2007
- 2 hr 3 min
-
7.3 (113,378)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a gripping and intense crime drama from 2007 that stars an impressive cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Albert Finney. Directed by Sidney Lumet, the film tells the story of two brothers, Andy and Hank, who hatch a scheme to rob their parents' jewelry store to solve their respective financial problems.
The film opens with an intimate scene between Andy (Hoffman) and his wife, Gina (Marisa Tomei), and then quickly jumps to the day of the robbery. As the plan unfolds, things start to go horribly wrong, and the consequences of the brothers' actions begin to spiral out of control. The film is told in a non-linear structure, with each section of the story told from a different character's perspective.
Hoffman delivers a powerful and haunting performance as the troubled and manipulative Andy, who convinces his younger brother, Hank (Hawke), to go along with the dangerous plan. Ethan Hawke, who plays the more vulnerable and naive Hank, is equally impressive, as he wrestles with the moral implications of his actions and the potential consequences of getting caught.
Meanwhile, veteran actor Albert Finney gives a solid performance as the brothers' father, Charles, who becomes increasingly entangled in their criminal activities as the film progresses. His character's journey is a particularly tragic one, as he struggles to keep his family together and deal with the fallout of their actions.
What makes Before the Devil Knows You're Dead such a powerful film is the way it explores themes of greed, family dysfunction, and violence without ever becoming preachy or didactic. Instead, Lumet masterfully weaves together the different perspectives of the characters to create a complex and nuanced portrait of a family in crisis.
The film is also remarkable for its technical achievements, with Lumet using a variety of visual techniques to heighten the tension and suspense of the story. The use of split screens, for example, is particularly effective in creating a sense of chaos and confusion during the robbery scene, while the non-linear structure of the film creates a feeling of inevitability as the different threads of the story converge.
Overall, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is an intense and compelling crime drama that features outstanding performances, a well-crafted script, and expert direction. It is a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, and one that will leave you thinking about its themes long after the credits roll.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a 2007 crime movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 3 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 86.