BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD

Legendary director Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Serpico, Network, Dog Day Afternoon) delivers what is easily the year's darkest film. The story of two down-on-their-luck brothers and their ill-fated plan to rob the small suburban jewelry store owned by their parents truly pushes the envelope on regular folks doing really bad things. The cast of Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Albert Finney, and Marisa Tomei are all sensational. Lumet's direction creates a claustrophobic atmosphere. So many scenes are filmed with the actors "trapped" in close quarters (a car, a booth at the local bar, a patio surrounded by tall hedges, etc). The characters themselves even create a sense of atmosphere: Hawke's weakness, Tomei's desolation, and Hoffman's despair. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD is a very good movie with masterful direction and mesmerizing performances. The movie's flaw lies in its final act. A plot twist that defies logic coupled with the lack of a single redeeming quality from any of the film's characters leaves you looking for the other side of these "regular" people doing really bad things. In the end they don't seem too "regular" and that takes away from the film's overall impact. This is a movie that requires the viewer to be in the right mood...and may leave you feeling the need to take a shower! 4 of 5 hs