sudarshan shetty 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead' - This mesmerizing crime melodrama couldn't get any more perfect. This is so much more than just a crime drama. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Eathan Hawke, already enough reason to watch a movie. Sidney lumet's long career fills towards completion with this movie. Playing with the timelines of the storytelling makes it different than usual movie. I recommend this movie to all crime drama lovers.

seymourblack-1 Kelly Masterson's first screenplay describes the circumstances that lead two brothers into carrying out a particularly diabolical crime and then provides a harrowing account of its unintended consequences. By making the nature of the crime unusual and keeping the spotlight on its flawed characters, Masterson also makes his story less predictable than most "heist gone wrong" thrillers and increases the dramatic impact of the crime's tragic repercussions.Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour-Hoffman), a payroll executive who works for a real estate company, maintains an outward appearance of having everything under control but is, in fact, in a state of deep despair. With a dysfunctional marriage, an expensive drug habit and debts that he's tried to service by embezzling money from his employers, he dreams of escaping to live in Brazil. This isn't possible in his current circumstances and to make matters worse, an audit being carried out at his workplace is soon guaranteed to uncover the extent to which he's been cooking the books. The only way he can think of to get out of his predicament involves robbing a jewellery store and in order to do this, he needs the assistance of his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke).Hank, who works at the same company as Andy, is also in a state of desperation for different reasons. He's divorced and deeply in debt because his child support payments and contributions to his daughter's education have left him with virtually nothing to live on. Andy tells Hank that what he's planned is the perfect crime because the jewellery store is a relatively soft target which will only be staffed by a single employee early on a Saturday morning and it's also a victim-less crime because, to his certain knowledge, the store is well insured and so the proprietors won't suffer any financial losses. Furthermore, as no guns would be needed for this kind of caper, no-one should get hurt. Hank, who's a more anxious person than his brother, is jittery as he listens to the plan and his natural reluctance to get involved gets stronger when Andy discloses that the store he's got in mind to rob, is their parents' business which is located in a Westchester shopping mall.Hank is persuaded to go ahead with the robbery (which he's supposed to carry out on his own) but not having the stomach for the job, hires a local thug to help him. For a variety of reasons, the heist goes horribly wrong resulting in a fatality and the brothers failing to profit financially. There are also, however, other consequences that soon prove to be even more devastating.Masterson's skilfully-written work benefits enormously from Sidney Lumet's decision to unfold the story through a series of flashbacks, flash-forwards and actions being shown from multiple viewpoints. Moreover, by utilising this method, the legendary director brings out considerably more substance in terms of the characters and their motivations in a way that's not only entertaining to watch but also cleverly avoids slowing down the action.The acting performances in this movie are exceptional with the entire cast obviously having a full understanding of the characters involved. Inevitably though, its Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Ethan Hawke whose contributions remain the most memorable, primarily because of the importance of their characters but also because of the subtlety with which they're portrayed. Albert Finney and Michael Shannon are also electrifying in their important supporting roles.

Leofwine_draca You know, there's a decent little sub-genre of films about crimes gone wrong in which the protagonists attempt to evade the law and clear up after their mess. RESERVOIR DOGS could be classed as such, but the real classics of the genre for me are the snow-bound classics FARGO and A SIMPLE PLAN. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD is another entry in this sub-genre with much in common with the previous movies, but unfortunately it lacks the same kind of power.While I enjoy the narrative of the story, I have to say that this movie's style is all wrong. The jumping back and forth in time structure makes it feel all over the place and, indeed, that it's a mess. It would have been much better if it had played out completely linear. The look is cold, the style holds you back from the action. The direction is one of my least favourite things about the film, which is a real surprise given that the director is Sidney Lumet, purveyor of such classics as SERPICO and DOG DAY AFTERNOON. Sorry, Sidney; you just haven't got it anymore.Still, there are reasons to watch here, not least Philip Seymour Hoffman's sleazy, drug-addled businessman who finds his life spiralling out of control. Ethan Hawke is effective as his waster brother, and Albert Finney reliably solid as the siblings' father. Watch out for the lovely Marisa Tomei as Hoffman's girlfriend and the excellent Michael Shannon in a minor role as a bad guy. Lashings of violence and some shocking twists help propel the plot along, but in the end this was a bit of a disappointment and a case of wasted potential as it could have been so much better.

popcorninhell The title of the movie is taken from an Irish toast: "May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head; may you be 40 years in heaven, before the devil knows you're dead." An interesting insight when you consider that the film starts with the melancholy of a Yeats and gets more ominous by the film's end. More ominous still is despite being one of director Sidney Lumet's strongest films, it was also his last. Lumet died of Cancer April 9, 2011 leaving behind a legacy of marvelous films including 12 Angry Men (1957), Network (1976), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and The Verdict (1982).Before the Devil Knows You're Dead seemingly came out of nowhere. Lumet's last feature was the little seen Vin Diesel vehicle Find Me Guilty (2006), which while being criminally underrated, is far from a masterpiece. While a confectioner of New York grit and a worthy contributor to the post-studio era of American films, even devotees like myself have to admit Lumet was a bit of a has been by the year 2000. He limped along making mediocre fare suitable for TV as opposed to large movie screens. Even during his heyday Critic Pauline Kael called his films counterfeit and Lumet himself a poor craftsman, "prodigal with bad ideas…" If Kael were alive today she may have to eat crow given the directorial mastery present in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Everything from the acting to the editing to the cinematography is just a joy to watch and the results are so emotionally shocking that it's hard not to appreciate the man and his "poor craftsmanship". Lumet put his all into making Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and it shows. It brings to mind some of his non-flagship films like Long Day's Journey into Night (1962) and Prince of the City (1981) only with the added bonus of digital film techniques.But what exactly is this film about? I hear you cry. Well the storyline is relatively simple; two brothers (Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman) are in need of some quick cash for various reasons and decide to rob a strip mall jewelry store. It's supposed to be a bloodless, victimless crime but things never go the way they should in films like these. Both Hawke and Hoffman do excellent jobs and are further bolstered by the likes of Marisa Tomei, Michael Shannon and an unforgettable performance by Albert Finney, the twos' father.The editing cuts back and forth between the past and present to design a collage of violence, affecting drama and grief. While jarring at first, the back and forth creates a fractured dialogue in your head. As soon as things start to settle, we are taken to another part of the journey and forced to piece things together. It's a movie that took thought and therefore requires you to put thought into your viewing. Even if the story was told straight from beginning to end, it would still be devastating to watch; it'd just seem longer to get to the story's jarring climax.The less I say about Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, the better. I implore you, beseech you, dare you to just see this film. The movie may sound bleak but in a story where no one seems to come up on top, the audience certainly benefits. That and the esteemed Sidney Lumet who gets one last gem past the critics.http://www.theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com