An invigorating, refreshing and unusual thing to see one done so expertly.
Comment
11/02/07
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
88
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:156
Fresh:137
Rotten:19
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: A tense and effective thriller, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead marks a triumphant return to form for director Sidney Lumet.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Family Interaction, Thriller, Infidelity, Theatrical Release, Brothers, Affairs
Theatrical Release:11-01-2008
Synopsis: From the unexpectedly graphic opening shot, director Sidney Lumet proves he hasn't lost any of his bite with age. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD is a riveting suspense thriller that retains the... [More]
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney
Director: Sidney Lumet
Reviews for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
This is no nostalgia trip taken by an 83-year-old director. It's a fierce, hot slap of a movie, a shameless melodrama with bite.
11/02/07
Top CriticSidney Lumet makes his best movie in ages, a crackerjack crime thriller that goes for the jugular.
11/02/07
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, the expertly acted story of two brothers and a con gone very wrong, is full of clever little tricks.
11/02/07
Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is such a superb crime melodrama that I almost want to leave it at that. To just stop writing right now and advise you to go out and see it as soon as you can.
11/02/07
Top CriticThis ambitious and well-directed crime thriller, with an intricate flashback structure redolent of Reservoir Dogs, gives Philip Seymour Hoffman a fascinatingly ambiguous character to work with.
11/02/07
Lumet's latest proves as riveting and ambitious as any of his best work.
11/02/07
...like being trapped in a closet with your greatest regrets.
11/02/07
Somehow, Lumet and his expert cast are able to make his shady characters compelling even though these folks might pause for only a passing thought before stabbing each other in the back, literally.
11/02/07
Lumet's film is a stunner.
11/02/07
From start to finish, "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead" is an absolute knockout and can already be ranked as one of the pinnacles of the long and reasonably distinguished career of Sidney Lumet.
11/01/07
A sharply acted and highly entertaining morality play.
11/01/07
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is another convincing argument that early retirement is not always a good idea for a master filmmaker. This is an adrenaline-pumping, devilishly well-made thriller set against the downfall of an American family.
11/01/07
Lumet directs the script with the actor-centered efficiency that has served him well over a surprising array of projects.
11/01/07
In addition to being a study in great acting, this is a study in great directing. Filming with high-definition digital video cameras, Lumet weaves in and out of the action, proving to be as adroit with new technology as he was with old-school celluloid.
11/01/07
... some first-rate surprises and a bundle of good performances.
11/01/07
A moody, expertly-crafted combination of crime story and domestic drama with a superb ensemble cast.
10/31/07
...nothing more than a perfunctory thriller...
10/30/07
The last 15 minutes of this film had me shaking my head in disbelief. Yet I found myself thinking about the performances, the tone, the perfection in certain scenes, long after the movie was over.
10/29/07
...as Andy and Hank stumble into the jaws of an unforgiving fate, we realize we've been in the hands of a master director who's never really gotten his due.
10/29/07
Latest News for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
April 14, 2008:
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March 07, 2008:
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December 17, 2007:
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Dexter Make AFI's 2007 Best-Of List
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December 14, 2007:
Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
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