One of my all time favorites.

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Great cast. Sidney Lumet truly did an astounding job with this film. Lumet shared with us one of his best films and it is a shame he and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died just last year, are no longer here to share anymore profound masterpieces.I saw this a few years back and what I can say is it was an amazing film. The acting was well constructed as it would be expected of Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman. But not one in the film captivated the debilitating affects of tension and concern as well as Hoffman himself. The film had its share of humor and the supporting roles were brilliant and authentic. It seemed as though as the film had progressed, the intense suspense in the film as well as the sharp acting seemed to just envelop you even more. The entire atmosphere just impacts the audience deeply and leaves a thrill of excitement that is still felt after the film. A film close to perfection and one I will see again any time.

I'm writing this review after my second viewing of 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.' I watched it on DVD when it first came out and, to be honest, it didn't leave that much of a lasting impression on me. If you asked me to describe it, I'd probably say something like, 'Oh, it was about a heist... or something.' To be fair, that is part of the film. I don't know what I started thinking about it years later, but I decided to give it another go. And I'm glad I did. Yes, it's about a heist. Although, the main ingredient in this film is about moral dilemmas. Two brothers (Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke), both with financial problems, decide to rob their parents' jewellery store as a way of making a fast buck (while not admitting that they're heavily in debt – and why).Naturally, things don't go their way and both of them find themselves stuck in an ever deceasing spiral as more and more things get out of control. I won't go into the actual plot in too much detail, as anything I say will probably spoilt the film of you. However, what is nice is that you can see things from their points of view. Both men have problems. Yes, there may be easier (legal?!) ways of getting cash, but both have already gone too far to be able to turn around and utilise legitimate money-making means. Then, when things start to go wrong, everything happens logically. You'll feel for the two men (even if you don't always like them). Albert Finney is on the cast list and he does a good job, too. Although his part is decidedly smaller than his two on-screen sons, but what he does he does well.'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead' is a slow film. Maybe when I watched it before I was expecting some sort of 'action-orientated' gangster film where people are shooting each other and delivering a witty quip here and there. It's nothing like that. If you're looking for that sort of experience, look somewhere else. This film is quieter, subtle and sadder in tone. It's also nearly two hours long, but, despite being slow, that's not a bad thing.If you're in the mood for 'thoughtful' over 'thrilling' give this one a go. I'm definitely going to watch it again – probably in a few years, but definitely.

The title of the movie is taken from an Irish toast: "May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head; may you be 40 years in heaven, before the devil knows you're dead." An interesting insight when you consider that the film starts with the melancholy of a Yeats and gets more ominous by the film's end. More ominous still is despite being one of director Sidney Lumet's strongest films, it was also his last. Lumet died of Cancer April 9, 2011 leaving behind a legacy of marvelous films including 12 Angry Men (1957), Network (1976), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and The Verdict (1982).Before the Devil Knows You're Dead seemingly came out of nowhere. Lumet's last feature was the little seen Vin Diesel vehicle Find Me Guilty (2006), which while being criminally underrated, is far from a masterpiece. While a confectioner of New York grit and a worthy contributor to the post-studio era of American films, even devotees like myself have to admit Lumet was a bit of a has been by the year 2000. He limped along making mediocre fare suitable for TV as opposed to large movie screens. Even during his heyday Critic Pauline Kael called his films counterfeit and Lumet himself a poor craftsman, "prodigal with bad ideas…" If Kael were alive today she may have to eat crow given the directorial mastery present in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Everything from the acting to the editing to the cinematography is just a joy to watch and the results are so emotionally shocking that it's hard not to appreciate the man and his "poor craftsmanship". Lumet put his all into making Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and it shows. It brings to mind some of his non-flagship films like Long Day's Journey into Night (1962) and Prince of the City (1981) only with the added bonus of digital film techniques.But what exactly is this film about? I hear you cry. Well the storyline is relatively simple; two brothers (Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman) are in need of some quick cash for various reasons and decide to rob a strip mall jewelry store. It's supposed to be a bloodless, victimless crime but things never go the way they should in films like these. Both Hawke and Hoffman do excellent jobs and are further bolstered by the likes of Marisa Tomei, Michael Shannon and an unforgettable performance by Albert Finney, the twos' father.The editing cuts back and forth between the past and present to design a collage of violence, affecting drama and grief. While jarring at first, the back and forth creates a fractured dialogue in your head. As soon as things start to settle, we are taken to another part of the journey and forced to piece things together. It's a movie that took thought and therefore requires you to put thought into your viewing. Even if the story was told straight from beginning to end, it would still be devastating to watch; it'd just seem longer to get to the story's jarring climax.The less I say about Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, the better. I implore you, beseech you, dare you to just see this film. The movie may sound bleak but in a story where no one seems to come up on top, the audience certainly benefits. That and the esteemed Sidney Lumet who gets one last gem past the critics.http://www.theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com

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.