Before The Devil Knows Your Dead - Thoughts

I saw the trailer of this movie sometime in 2007, and while it didn’t come across as spectacular, the movie seemed decently interesting. It had been a while since I’d seen any of Ethan Hawke or Marisa Tomei’s work, which made it more attractive. Being in no real rush to see it, I finally saw it towards the end of June in 2010. In Before The Devil Knows Your Dead, two brothers plan to rob their parents jewelry store; their plan seemingly harmless and something that would result in a win win situation. Things unfortunately go terribly wrong, and everything starts spiraling out of control. The implications haunting the brothers in the weeks after and taking its toll on the entire family.


When the script for Before The Devil Knows Your Dead was written, it was intended to be a Thriller. The director Sidney Lumet on the other hand felt that it was more a melodrama; I’d have to agree with the director. The movie is slow, and tragically intense. Performances are brilliant all round, and the emotion in the various scenes are gripping. Though I was unfamiliar with Sidney Lumet’s past work, reading up on him led me to realize that he has been involved with some masterpieces of cinema in the past. He is known for his technical prowess and bringing out the best in his cast; which is very evident here. The movie has a unique presentation style to it, with the same events being presented from various individual points of view. This added emphasis to the perspectives of different characters involved. Before The Devil Knows Your Dead has a dark tone to it, in keeping with the realities, ironies and hardships of life. If you have the patience for something unhurried, and can handle the grim truth of life, give this one a try, and you’ll find it to be quite brilliant in achieving its storytelling goal.

Ethan Hawke who played Hank Hanson, one of the two brother was exceptional in his character portrayal. He seemed constantly overwhelmed, and always had a look of being a little lost and confused. Andy Hanson, his elder brother played by Philip Seymour Hoffman came across as a complex, with perhaps years of bottled up internal conflicts. Gina Hanson, Andy’s wife played by Marisa Tomie was perfect in her role. Her expressions were incredible, right from the first scene in the movie where she’s upset and starts crying in the hotel room in Rio. The scene in the car between Andy and Gina is perhaps one of the most powerful in the entire movie. Albert Finney as Charles Hanson, the loving husband who is deeply hurt by the things happening around him, and is annoyed by the way the world is treating him like an old man, is remarkable. Without a doubt, performances were something that really stood out in Before The Devil Knows Your Dead.

As in most cases, I was watching a Region 1 US DVD. Video was impressive, remaining sharp and clear throughout. Colors were rich, though dull and not vibrant. The entire movie had a dark dull feel to it, which is probably intentional in keeping with the story/theme of the movie. Being set in the late 80’s/early 90’s, the intention may have also been to make it look dated. The rich colors were more noticeable in the outdoor daylight scenes. The aspect ratio was obviously reformatted to fit a home theatre; the fit on my widescreen plasma was exact and it made for an immersive viewing experience. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack was good, with dialog being clear. Surround usage was barely noticeable, except for occasional ambient sounds.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Shinning performances, and beautifully crafted narrative; the plot and drama may not appeal to all though)