Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Movie Review of Sidney Lumet Film Starring Hoffman, Hawke

Oct 18, 2007

Themes of theft swirl around this smart suspense thriller starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke.

Filmmaker Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Serpico) directs this engrossing drama about a family keeping dangerous secrets from each other. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Andy, a drug-addicted and financially unstable broker who lures his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), into robbing the jewelry store owned by their parents, but run by a harmless older woman.

Describing the robbery as a “victimless crime” because of insurance coverage, Andy convinces Hank (who also is wallowing in money trouble and family problems) to carry out his scheme. The habitually immature Hank agrees to commit the crime, but is unable to carry it out and hires a thug to do the dirty work. The plan backfires when their mother (Rosemary Harris) unexpectedly shows up to work that day at the store.

Name of Movie Is An Old Irish Toast

The title, taken from the old Irish toast that says, “May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead,” sets the tone at the beginning of the film for a series of man-made disasters. Andy’s plan continues to unravel as one problem after another emerges. Hoffman does an excellent job portraying a man who appears in control, but is secretly helpless and hopeless because of his own shortcomings.

Hawke plays the younger, better-looking brother who continues a clandestine affair with Andy’s wife, Gina (Marisa Tomei). Whether in bed with Andy or Hank, Gina shares little of herself (other than her body) with the men in her life. Tomei boldly takes on this difficult role in which she must perform extended scenes while unclothed (or partially clothed) while portraying a mostly unlikable, unsympathetic character.

Rounding out the cast is Albert Finney, who plays Charles, the gruff head of the family who helped create his two monstrous (in their own unique ways) sons. There are no heroes here – merely lesser and greater degrees of weakness and deception.

In addition to the central story concerning the jewelry store robbery, other forms of theft weave themselves throughout the story. There’s a stolen driver’s license, which in term leads to a stolen identity. There’s a second robbery with equally disastrous results. Precious memories of the characters are stolen through harsh words and bad deeds, as when Gina tells Andy about her long-term affair with his brother and when Andy suggests to his dad that another man may have fathered him because he’s not as good-looking as his brother and sister.

Even Lumet steals something as the story jumps backward and forward in time in a nonlinear fashion. Many films employing this technique become confused and distracting, but Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead steals time, manipulates time, and returns time flawlessly. The film begins with “Before the Robbery” and eventually concludes with “Charles One Week After the Robbery.” Throughout the film, scenes continue to shift in time and perspective until the entire sordid story reveals itself to the audience. Although there aren’t many people to like in this movie, there’s much to like about the movie itself.

The copyright of the article Before the Devil Knows You're Dead in Film Dramas is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Before the Devil Knows You're Dead in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.