Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead: Review
Posted by devron on July 4, 2008
Sometimes it’s a good thing to watch a movie without any indication of what’s to come. I didn’t do any research. I didn’t even realize that Philip Seymour Hoffman was in the film. I just kinda put it in my Netflix queue. Watching the trailer would have probably ruined my experience. And in that same spirit, this is probably going to be a different review in that I don’t want to reveal too much about the film. Just know this: 1) It’s not for kids – even if kids are in the vicinity of where the film is being played, 2) It has incredible acting, and 3) It will depress you beyond belief.
This film isn’t short on big names – Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network and countless other gems) directs. All of the actors – big parts and small parts – turn in incredible performances. Of particular note is, of course, Hoffman. It’s ridiculous how passionate this guy is… how he conveys volumes with no words. But the other actors turn in great performances as well.
The film reminds me of something Quentin Tarantino might have written and directed. However, unlike a Tarantino film, this one is devoid of all fun. That’s not to say this is a bad film. Much to the contrary. This is an interesting, visceral, complicated and difficult film. The most I’ll say about the plot is that you have two somewhat average brothers who, through poor decisions and just a bad deal in life, are in a bad place. So, they end up making more bad decisions. And the further we go, the messier things get.
While this film isn’t particularly bloody or sensational, what made it so gripping was how real these situations could be. New York was used as the backdrop, so I guess that made it that much more authentic to me. But the situations that these characters find themselves in made me stop and wonder how I might handle them. The film is the thread hanging from your jacket…and as you grab it to yank and break it, you realize that yanking it has only created a bigger piece of thread…and now you’re in too deep to go get a pair of scissors…so you yank harder… and before you realize it, half of your sleeve is gone.
If you’re in the least bit of a slump in life, maybe this one isn’t for you. I watched this on July 4 – I had the day off, life felt pretty good. And by the time it was done, I was walking around wondering why my life had so many loose threads. No, it isn’t very self-revealing. These are very odd situations and unless you really live on the edge, I’m sure you won’t be able to relate. But there’s so much tension that by the time you’re done, you really have to go find your happy place. It’s depressing as hell.
But as much as I felt depressed after watching the film, I must say that in this age of films that are little more than an extended version of the trailer, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is completely unpredictable. I found that two hour runtime went by in what felt like an hour and a half, because I couldn’t tell quite where things were headed. But just trust Sidney Lumet. He knows where he’s taking you.
I don’t often talk about a film’s score (particularly a film of this kind), but it’s worth mentioning that the theme that plays throughout the film is extremely chilling. It’s disturbing. It sets the stage quite wonderfully for this completely atypical experience.
To say, “I enjoyed this film” would be almost morbid. I decided to tolerate the film and I’m pretty happy that I made that decision. This is certainly not a film I’d own. But I do encourage anyone who’s up for a different experience and who doesn’t mind a bit of violence and complex adult situations on-screen to check this one out. Probably the best acted film I’ve seen all year. (In a year of countless super hero movies, that isn’t saying much, but you get the idea.)
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I remember being a bit cynical last winter when Amazon announced their “revolutionary device” that would change the game. As a tech enthusiast, I’m probably one of the folks that they should hope gets excited about this. Then again, I’m not a big reader, so perhaps I’m not quite in the center of their bulls-eye. When I first laid eyes on the Kindle, my exact thought was, “you’ve got to be kidding me”. It really doesn’t say “2008”. I’d argue that the Sony eBook Reader is a bit more sexy than a device where about a quarter of the precious real estate on the front of the device is dedicated to a physical keyboard. (I know, I know – version 1.0).
You know that super hero movies are on the rise when you get a complete ‘do-over’ re-cast version of the same super hero. Well, maybe not exactly. The 2003 release was entitled “The Hulk” and this film is “The Incredible Hulk”. But there are several other differences. If one really stretches the mind, they can envision this film being a sequel of the first, only with a different cast. This iteration does not re-tell the origin of the Hulk – only shows flashes of it during the opening credit sequence and during flashbacks that Bruce Banner (the Hulk’s alter-ego) has during the film. I choose not to believe that this is a sequel – well, because it isn’t. They just chose to focus on more than the origin of the character.
Say what you will about M. Night Shyamalan, but few can question the impact that he’s had over the past ten years in the genre of suspense films. I’m not even that big a fan of The Sixth Sense, but rarely will you come across a person who has seen the film and who doesn’t have some polarizing reaction to the film. Sadly, the most common reaction I come across are from people who want to debate when they ‘figured out’ the big reveal of the movie. Ironically, it’s this unfortunate angle that has Shyamalan painted in a corner. He followed up TSS with Unbreakable, and then my favorite Night movie, Signs. Although The Village received a lukewarm reception, I feel as if people are really missing the most entertaining aspect of an M. Night Shyamalan film. While most people are trying to play mental chess with the movie and searching for clues and answers, the best part of these films, regardless of how clever (or not) the ending may be is the suspense that he’s able to generate. And while The Happening is probably one of his weakest films plot-wise, it manages to keep it’s audience engaged and in suspense from the opening credits until the closing curtain

I stayed away. It had been awhile since Grey’s Anatomy went on hiatus due to the actor’s strike and, well…. I stayed away. At first, it was tough. Grey’s was that moment of tenderness (albeit artificial) in an otherwise hardened hustle-and-bustle New York City workweek. But after weeks of not watching, it became easier to reflect on what the show had already given me than to venture into anything new it had to offer. 