Before the Devil Knows You're Dead | 
 enlarge | Director: Sidney Lumet
Actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei
Studio: Egami
Category: Movie
Buy New: $14.99
Rating:  99 reviews
Sales Rank: 13499
Genre: Drama
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 117 Minutes
ASIN: B0016JODPW
Theatrical Release Date: October 26, 2007
Release Date: September 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Synopsis:
Master filmmaker Sidney Lumet (The Verdict, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico) scores big with this absorbing suspense thriller. Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman is Andy, an overextended payroll executive who lures his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), into a larcenous scheme: the pair will rob a suburban mom-and-pop jewelry store that appears to be the quintessential easy target. The problem is, the store owners are Andy and Hank's real mom and pop, and when the seemingly perfect crime goes awry, the damage sends them hurtling toward a shattering climax. |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Not every story has a happy ending December 2, 2008
Roller Girl (NY, NY)
I thought this was the best movie I had seen in years. The acting was very good and yes its a depressing story, but that should not mean its a bad movie (not sure why those people who rated this movie as poor did so just because it was disturbing and depressing). If you need a happy ending and hate flashbacks and forward in movies so much that you can't enjoy such films, well then, this movie isn't for you.
 Try Something New, Hollywood! December 1, 2008
Giordano Bruno (Wherever I am, I am.)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
All this fancy flip-flopping fore and aft in time, showing every scene twice, might save money on script but it couldn't save a scrawny turkey like "Before the Box Office Knows You're Dead" on the day after Thanksgiving. It's been done, dudes! Get a new gimmick!
I hope they paid Philip Seymour Hoffman a bundle for this humiliation. He's a great actor but his freckled b_tt does nothing for me.
BAD IDEA!.... GONE REALLY REALLY WRONG! November 30, 2008
! MR. KNOW IT ALL ;-b (TRI STATE AREA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead' will make you think twice about doing something you know is bad, but you do it anyway! With a premise that shows how wrong a seemingly easy solution can go horribly wrong this film pulls no punches! An engrossing story of two brothers in desperate need of cash, decide to pull off a robbery!....that's as far as I'll go with the plot. What happens next is absolutely tragic.
The story is told flash back and flash forward style, which works well in story for the most part. Although, I did feel the film dragged needlessly in the middle sometimes because they didn't reveal enough new information during some flashback/forward segments. This didn't hurt the overall experience, but with a little more information, it would have really pulled me in. Regardless, it's a very solid film with solid performances. The ending was abrupt and left a couple of important loose ends. For those small grievances I deduct 1 star.
A Descent into Evil November 23, 2008
Andrew Desmond (Neutral Bay, NSW Australia)
"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a dark tale of human greed and deceit. What starts out as a thoroughly corrupted crime against parents descends into something even worse. There is a horrible viscous circle at work which no one is able to right.
Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) convinces his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), to rob their parents' jewellery store in the suburbs of New York. The parents are not meant to be working on the day of the heist and, although they may be disturbed by the crime, insurance will cover their losses. The brothers each have their own financial difficulties and the robbery will relieve them of their troubles.
The crime, however, goes terribly wrong. Their mother is unexpectedly working on the day and dies of a gun shot wound. The trail left by the brothers slowly unravels and the especially conniving Andy is seen for being the epitome of evil. Needless to say, the brothers are found out. In a particularly bleak scene, Andy gets his comeuppance. At least some justice seems to be at work in a roundabout way.
The performances of both Hoffman and Hawke are good. They are plausible in their roles. Their father, played by Albert Finney is also well managed. His grief at times is palpable.
Overall, the film is good without being great. It is worth the effort but is unlikely to win a swag of awards.
Great November 20, 2008
Hood (Arkansas)
This is a really good movie, you have to pay attention and stay in the room the whole movie...Or pause it if you have you leave the room...
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