Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writer (WGA):

Kelly Masterson (written by)

Release Date:

26 September 2007 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

No one was supposed to get hurt.

Plot:

When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelery store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife hurtling towards a shattering climax.

Plot Keywords:

Taxi | Crying Baby | Neo Noir | Crime Scene | Father Murdering Son

Awards:

7 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Andy Hanson
Ethan Hawke	...	Hank Hanson
Albert Finney	...	Charles Hanson
Marisa Tomei	...	Gina Hanson
Aleksa Palladino	...	Chris Lasorda
Michael Shannon	...	Dex
Amy Ryan	...	Martha Hanson
Sarah Livingston	...	Danielle Hanson
Brian F. O'Byrne	...	Bobby Lasorda (as Brían F. O'Byrne)
Rosemary Harris	...	Nanette Hanson
Blaine Horton	...	Justin
Arija Bareikis	...	Katherine
Leonardo Cimino	...	William
Lee Wilkof	...	Jake
Damon Gupton	...	Doctor

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language.

Runtime:

117 min | Canada:123 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Italy:VM14 | Canada:18A | Hong Kong:III | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #43235) | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | Ireland:16 | South Korea:18 | Taiwan:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Sweden:15 | France:U | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Malaysia:18PL

Filming Locations:

Bayside, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Linsefilm

Trivia:

In the original script, Andrew and Hank Hanson were not brothers. Sidney Lumet made this change to increase the drama of the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: There is a repeat of the scene showing Andy answering Hank's pay phone call after the robbery. In one, the receptionist says "...sounds like some kind of nut case" and Andy says "Yeah, I'll take it". In the repeat, the receptionist says "Sounds like a nut case" and Andy says "I got it."

Quotes:

Andrew 'Andy' Hanson: The thing about real estate accounting is that you can, you can, add down the page or across the page and everything works out. Everyday, everything adds up. The, the total is always the sum of its parts. It's, uh, clean. It's clear. Neat, absolute. But my life, it, uh, it doesn't add up. It, uh... Nothing connects to anything else. It's, uh... I'm not, I'm not the sum of my parts. All my parts don't add up to one... to one me, I guess.
Justin: Get a shrink or a wife.
Andrew 'Andy' Hanson: Uh, I got a wife.
Justin: Get a shrink.

Movie Connections:

References Blame It on Rio (1984)

Soundtrack:

The Pride

A smart, edgy thriller that keeps you hooked to the end

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Hank (Ethan Hawke) is a deadbeat dad who can't pay his daughter's maintenance and keeps missing out on important events in her life. His brother Andy (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) holds down a respectable job but is developing a costly drug habit. However, being the smarter one, he comes up with a plan: rob the jewellery store their mother used to work at. All goes well, until not so bright Hank breaks two of the rules, he brings someone else along and brings someone else who takes a gun. But there's one thing neither of them reckoned on: their mother still works there and when the robbery goes wrong, she ends up getting shot and killed. With their father Charles (Albert Finney) seeking revenge, it's only a matter of time before everything builds up to end in disaster.

Old school director Sidney Lumet has skillfully updated his style to more modern times with a cleverly written story with a cool, funky use of style and decent performances from his lead stars, who, while playing characters I found unlikeable, play them very well. It's weird, I was sure that both Lumet and his star Finney had died some time ago but according to their IMDb homepages, neither of their clogs have popped just yet. If they had, they could have left far worse swansongs than this.

I'm not trying to be lazy here, but I really cannot think of anything more to say other than if you like smart, sharp, well written thrillers that require you to pay attention and take everything in, this is one you will like. ****