PodBill Just what I expected

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Mace As a last film for a truly legendary director, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead can only be described as a haunting, underrated masterpiece that any viewer will not soon forget. The film consists of an all-star cast, including the likes of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney. Even Michael Shannon shares a brief, but memorable, bit of run time. The casting was excellent all around and there were no characters that felt out of place or unnecessary to the story. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke specifically were the best either of them have ever been. The solid script and carefully written dialogue shared between the two main characters delivers some of the film's most riveting moments. And the "car scene" is one of Hoffman's most memorable on-screen moments. Those of you who have seen the film will know what I am referring to and those unaware are in for a treat.The story, while simple and admittedly not too original, manages to effectively show the characters' descent into violence and madness while jumping to before and after the event in which the movie revolves around. While sometimes the movie holds our hand a little too much with the story telling, I appreciated the fact that this movie wanted us to never be confused or lost within the time-jumping narrative. I was always aware of where our characters were and what point of the story I was witnessing.Now I have seen many comparisons between this film and the masterpiece known as Fargo, and while it shares the same theme of "simple crime gone horribly wrong" Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is not a darkly comedic venture. In fact, this movie is rarely anything but somber and hopeless. This is not a bad thing though as it seems that this was the director's intent. Delivering a powerful message through spurts of violence and intensity while never straying from the realm of reality within the movie. The violence and thrills are handled very well and are, at times, extremely intense.Now with all that said, there is only one thing that stopped the movie from being perfect and that is the ending. Normally when following characters throughout a movie we like to see how their story ends. It is common in all basic story telling. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough, especially if we are following a certain character throughout the entire film. Viewers want to know what happened to the character they have been following for the past two hours, but this movie denies you of that. It leaves the fate of the character out of view, and while that works for some movies, I sadly don't think it was the right choice here. Seeing all the things that this character has gone through and leaving it unfinished before the movie is over feels incredibly abrupt and doesn't fit with the rest of the movie. Despite this issue, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is a masterpiece from a truly talented director. A tight written script brought together by superb acting and thrills, this is definitely a movie you should make time for.

Bento de Espinosa The main problems of this movie are (at least): Unbelievable story, depressing, pointless.I love Lumet's "Network" and I like Ethan Hawke, but in this movie his character is unbearably annoying. He is such a loser and by the middle of the movie he had already got so much on my nerves with his whining that I hoped he would get killed.BTW, not one single character is likable, so there is no one to sympathize with, not even with the father, who at the end kills his own son. I mean, how probable is that? Possible, yes, but extremely improbable, in my opinion! Especially when the son would anyway go to prison for the rest of his life, which would be a much worse punishment.Some of the improbable points: 1. Brothers are desperately in need of money, nobody knows why and yet they have good jobs.2. They work at the same company, but when they first meet in the movie, it seems they haven't seen each other in ages.3. Parents live too modestly for jewelry shop owners and don't help out (at least a bit) their sons, who need some money.4. Sons decide to rob their own parent's shop. (Being their own parents, couldn't they try to scam their jewelry?) 5. Mother is alone in the shop with all the jewelry and leaves door unlocked.6. Robber is a complete moron and acts like a teenager. Instead of avoiding getting heard by someone, he is all the time screaming on the top of his lungs.7. Son visits a pawnbroker before (!) the coup and gives his card to him, leaving a trace.8. Drug dealer leaves safe door always open with a lot of money in it.9. Wife practically hates her husband for having no money, yet she sleeps frequently with his brother, who has even less money (and is a loser).10. Wife leaves her husband, but has not a single penny, not even to buy a mere bus ticket or pay a taxi.11. Brother of the widow meets the guy he is blackmailing at his own sister's apartment, where she is with her child, exposing them to a dangerous situation.12. Hoffman goes with Hawke to the blackmailer to kill him, instead of keeping all the money for himself and fleeing the country, since he didn't care much for his brother and was very angry with him anyway.13. Father tells the nurse, there is a problem with the heart machine and she doesn't come to check, telling him to switch the machine off and on again, like this happens all the time.14. Son is killed by the father (who just hours before asked him for forgiveness) and can be seeing leaving the room, yet nobody runs after him.And many more.Still watchable (for being a Lumet and because of Hoffman), but bad nevertheless.

Wuchak Sidney Lumet's 2007 film "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a drama/crime thriller about two brothers who decide to solve their money problems by robbing a jewelry store, and not just any jewelry store. It's a "victimless crime" argues the older brother and mastermind (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). The younger brother (Ethan Hawke) is hoodwinked into the harebrained scheme, but makes the mistake of adding a third person to the mix. From there it's a steady downward spiral.Marisa Tomei plays Seymour's wife and, although her character is shallow, materialistic and immoral, Marisa never looked better (at 42). She appears in a couple of very adult-oriented scenes, so stay away if that deters you.Albert Finney plays the grieving and vengeful father.The story is akin to 1998's "A Simple Plan" in regards to a money-making scheme gone awry. The difference is that the loot in "A Simple Plan" was drug money from a crashed plane and was basically up for grabs. Consequently, the characters are never viewed as criminals by viewers; they're just regular folks taking advantage of a pot of gold thrown into their laps. It's their lust for filthy lucre that is their downfall.By contrast, the scheme in "Before the Devil" is a clear-cut crime right out of the gate, even though Hoffman justifies it as victimless. With the possible exception of the whimpering Hawke character none of the people win the viewer's sympathy. They're getting exactly what they deserve.Another problem is the ending. The scenario in the hospital room is unrealistic. A 3/5 Star review by a physician gives the details of why this entire scene is implausible. Check it out (Amazon reviewer Judith S. Inouye, June 2, 2008).That said, the film is expertly made. Roger Ebert gave it a perfect score. Some complain about the mixing of chronology, but I found the story structure well done, interesting and easy-to-follow.The main problem is that the film revels in the worst in humanity. Take, for instance, Hawke's ex-wife who can't say one word to him without cussing and sheer antagonism. Or how about a peripheral character's brother who seeks to extort money from Hawke, an obnoxious tough guy who evidently thinks he's immortal (Michael Shannon)? Or what about the father, Albert Finney: Can the tragic events in the story be an opportunity for him to search his own heart and work toward positive changes, investigate the "sins of the fathers", discuss things, etc.? Forget it. With the possible exception of one character these people are too far gone.So what's the point? Don't commit crimes to make fast cash? Don't develop an expensive drug habit? Don't marry a selfish, unfaithful, materialistic woman? Don't marry a witch with a capital 'B'? The sins of the father will pass on and multiply? Arrogant tough guys must die? Some people live off the evil of others? Perhaps all the above."Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a hard film to rate. It's well made and maintains your interest. Most importantly, it lingers with you, which is the main reason I recommend it. It offers wisdom to stay on the straight and narrow. But, come on, can't we have ONE person with redeemable qualities, even if it's an enlightened change of heart? Thankfully, one person might fit this description at the end. I give it a B+ but I can understand why some rate it lower and others higher.The film runs 117 minutes and was shot in Queens, Manhattan and White Plains, NY.

thekarmicnomad I watched this solely on the basis Then Hawke was in it. I was not disappointed.The 'heist' element of this film plays second fiddle to the character study of two very different, but typical, brothers. The characters are well developed and superbly portrayed by Hawke and Hoffman.The movie is broken down into fragments and fed back to the audience in a way that is both dramatic but also a little distracting.The characters are all pretty self-destructive and the film has a general sour taste to it.Very good highly recommended, but don't expect 'Oceans 11' or too many happy endings.