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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Before the Devil Knows You Are Dead Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei and Rosemary Harris Director: Sidney Lumet Scriptwriter: Kelly Masterson ThinkFilm Rating: R Running Time: 118 minutes How often can you say, “Crime does not pay?” Not enough, as this crisp script by Kelly Masterson shows, not nearly enough. Director Sidney Lumet gives us top-notch performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman (Andy) and Ethan Hawke (Hank) as brothers, Albert Finney (Charles) and Rosemary Harris (Nanette) as their parents, and Marisa Tomei (Gina) as Philip’s wife. Using flashbacks, the story is told of a botched robbery and attempted cover-up, and it’s all in the family. The film begins with a sexy bed romp as Andy and Gina are on vacation in Brazil. Fast forward to their lives now and it is dull. Andy needs money and is hooked on cocaine. Hank also needs money and is behind in alimony payments. Charles and Nanette own a small jewelry store in a wealthy suburb. Andy concocts a it-can’t-fail robbery from the store. Everything is insured, he reasons, so no one will lose. What Andy doesn’t count on is that Hank is too meek to do the robbery, so brings in a friend who is promptly shot. Hank gets away, but now the film concentrates on the family finding who fired at Mom, who would rob the store and why Hank and Andy are never available when anyone needs them. One thug when commenting on the death of another says, “He was a jerk, but he paid the bills.“ Andy and Hank’s lives are slowly unwinding and the old adage, “Murphy’s Law,” takes over in that if anything will go wrong, it will be at an inopportune time. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s “Andy” is a man who is jealous of his younger brother and doesn't fit into the family. He and Dad were never friends. Ethan Hawke’s “Hank” is a loser from Day One and can’t do anything right. This is one guy you never want to plan anything with. Marisa Tomei looks stunning and does the role of the wife who still acts like a awkward little girl just fine. Albert Finney gives a sterling performance as a proud, over-bearing father who has to come to grips with the fact that at least one of his sons is evil. Other people this family meets along the way such as drug dealers, drug users, and incidental acquaintances become collateral damage. Before the Devil Knows You Are Dead shows that Sidney Lumet at age 82 is still at the top. The flashbacks used to tell the story are timed just right and we see what happens from different perspectives. About when you thought you had it figured out, it turns out to be slightly different, like looking at a slowly turning kaleidoscope. I’m guessing this film didn’t have a big budget and shows you can tell an engrossing tale by shooting in the streets of New York and by studying the dynamics of a family. The devil gets his due. Copyright 2007 Marie Asner
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