Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Want to see it?

Seen it?

0
1
2
3
4
5
Rate this movie.

Buy it now on DVD

Starting at $15.98

Want to buy it?

Write a review

Discuss it

Add to lists

Recommend it

Get recommendations

Watch trailer

Directed by Sidney Lumet.

Starring Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Michael Shannon.

Watch trailer

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, and Marisa Tomei star in director Sidney Lumet's thriller concerning two brothers who hatch a plan to rob their parent's jewelry store. When the job goes awry, the entire family is set on a collision course with tragedy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Reviews and discussions

The Horror, The Horror
by Tenenbaums in Tenenbaums Blog

lost interest.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"What an awful waste of talent. Though it starts out interesting, every element of this movie quickly falls apart into a wannabe-Shakespearean tragedy that isn't even good for cathartic moments. Even the masterful Philip Seymour Hoffman overacts to the point of annoyance, but it's not entirely his fault. His character's actions, like the rest in this tiresome mess, are not believablem, a sure sign of lazy writing. The characters are trapped somewhere between comic-book conventions and superdrama, in a no-man's-land of ridiculousness. Save time and preserve your high opinion of Hoffman by skipping this dumb dumb movie. " [More]

Before the Devil Knows You're D ...
by JJ79 in JJ79 Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Released: October 12, 2007 (New York Film Festival)Director: Sidney Lumet*****Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is like the ball of yarn a cat plays with. As long as both ends are tucked in and not pulled, the ball of yarn remains relatively intact. But pull a stray piece and, soon afterward, the entire thing becomes undone. Such is the case here. When brothers Hank and Andy (Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman) decide to knock over their parents jewelry store because both are in desperate need of money, they call it a victimless crime. The robbery goes horribly wrong, resulting in the fragile lives the family has created to come shattering apart, making each person do things they wouldn't normally do. With lesser actors, director Sidney Lumet's latest outing would have rung hollow, as if the script was imposing a set of character traits on a group of actors unable to inhabit the parts. Without muttering a line of dialogue, though, we know each of the people on screen, if o ... " [More]

Loved it!
by dacarden in dacarden Blog

loved it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"This movie was great - although it goes back and forth from past to future, the premise of two brothers hatching up a scheme that totally blows up in their face is nt the only thing that happens. They also become more and more involved in money schemes, murder and the ending is the ultimate. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a Philip Seymour Hoffman fanatic, as I am. I've never seen this man act badly...he's an awesome actor. " [More]

Before the Devil Knows You’re D ...
by CinemaRian in CinemaRian Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
""Hope you have a half hour of half an hour of happiness before the devil knows you're dead." Sidney Lumet shows us the complete phrase at the beginning of the movie, and for good reason. The 83 year-old director's latest film is a Shakespearean tragedy, and the title needs to be taken literarily. This movie chronicles the last stages of the fall of a family, just before many of the characters will probably be meeting the devil personally. The movie is told out of chronological sequence, so a plot description is impossible without revealing some surprises, so skip to the next paragraph to avoid spoilers. The Hanson brothers are down on their luck. The older sibling, Andy (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) has a beautiful wife (Marisa Tormei) and holds a good job at an advertising firm, but has been embezzling money, presumably to feed a cocaine habit, and his a few days away from an IRS audit where he will certainly be caught. His solution is desperate- he will have his younger brot ... " [More]

Re:Recasting THE BREAKFAST CLUB ...
by tl8706 in Filmgaming

is neutral about it.

"Joseph Gordon Levitt (The Lookout) ... Andrew 'Andy' Clark (make him a swimmer) Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up) ... Brian Ralph Johnson Taylor Kitsch (The Covenant) ... John Bender Amber Tamblyn (The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants) ... Claire Standish Emma Stone (Superbad) ... Allison Reynolds Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore) ... Principal Richard Vernon Ethan Hawke (Before The Devil Knows You're Dead) ... Carl The Janitor " [More]

I couldn't disagree...
by rplantz in rplantz Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"...with the mavens more. This film was great. I just finished watching it and I really don't know what to say. Part of me wants to take a bath and the other part wants me to throw myself back in the mud and watch it all over again. You guys "lost interest"? Give me a break. This may not have been Lumet's best work, but damn, this movie was gut-wrenching. " [More]

The 10 Best Films of 2007
by The1TheOnlyJP in The Paxton Log

lost interest.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Hello, my name is JP Paxton and I love movies. What began in mid 2004 has since became my uncontrollable obsession that can now be considered nothing less than an incurable sickness. Seriously, I probably think of a movie or something movie-related once every ten seconds. Because of this, I am propelled to constantly see, write & talk about movies. Those of you who are my friends or at least know of me already know this. For the ones that don't, now you know. Here it is New Year's Eve which means that yet another year has passed. Of course though that also means I'm here to let you all know what films I consider the best of 2007. This year certainly had its share of disappointments including but not limited to 'Bee Movie', 'Underdog' & 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.' I still can't recall what made me even think 'Underdog' might have possibly had a shot at being even half-decent. With the bad though there's ... " [More]

This movie was horrible.
by nelly in nelly Blog

disliked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Felt like the longest 2 hours of my life. Kept checking the time on my phone but it just wouldn't end. Ugh. I don't know what else to say. " [More]

Don’t Ring The Speciality Death ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"indieWIRE broke big acquisition news over the weekend: Having seen just a script and a two-minute show reel, up-and-coming distribution force Summit Entertainment has purchased Rian Johnson’s unfinished The Brothers Bloom. The film was expected to open and be offered for sale at Sundance, but fears over an unpredictable buying season convinced the filmmakers to allow Summit to take Bloom off the market. Exact numbers weren’t disclosed, but the resulting deal is surely much bigger than anything that’s been seen in the recent festival market; Eugene Hernandez says it “may ultimately be valued at more than $20 million.” A gimme headline, no slanguage required: Saw IV butchers competition. At Variety, the sequel’s $32 million bow is a shot in the face to the “conventional wisdom that hardcore horror no longer works.” The Hollywood Reporter notes that, above and beyond a victory for torture porn, this is a victory for indie studio Lionsgate, who have now had three number one hits in the ... " [More]

New Releases: Before The Devil ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Several movies that we’ve covered previously on SpoutBlog are opening in theaters today: Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead, starring Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman, has been widely hailed as a “return to form” for director Sidney Lumet. That’s probably not inaccurate, but the last thing Devil feels like is the work of an old man recycling old tricks. Ballsy and occasionally incredulous in its illustration of extreme, self-manufactured desperation, Devil’s not exactly a masterpiece, but if can roll with its plot contortions, it’s a deeply satisfying bit of pulp melodrama. And it’s got the opening sex scene to end all opening sex scenes. Read my NYFF review here, and listen to Lumet talk about his late-career embrace of digital video here. The Darjeeling Limited expands yet again this weekend, but the real news is the theatrical unveiling of Hotel Chevalier. See a review of the feature here, and coverage of Wes Anderson’s short here, here and here. Saw IV’s opening box off ... " [More]

Tags: heist , family-dynamics , tragic , brothers , junkie
View all