From Oscar-winning director Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Serpico) comes the DVD release of his criminally overlooked drama that got lost in the shuffle last year.  Hopefully the film now finds an audience.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is about a heist planned by two brothers in desperate financial straits that goes horribly wrong.  Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a seemingly successful corporate manager with a beautiful wife (Marisa Tomei), a gorgeous home and everything else that comes with the American dream.

Problem is, he is going broke and he is resorting to some shady endeavors to try to keep up his lifestyle.  He has been embezzling money from his job and an audit of his department is coming up and it will be uncovered.  Andy is an alpha-male type who tries bullying everyone in his life to get what he wants; he’s a product of his domineering father (Albert Finney). 

His brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) is the opposite; he’s a nice guy (to a fault) trying to get his life together while it keeps slipping further and further away from him.  He’s divorced and can’t keep up with his child support and can’t ever seem to catch a break.  So when Andy comes calling with an idea that will have the both of them rolling in dough, Hank reluctantly agrees.  They plan a jewelry store robbery that goes so badly it not only threatens to destroy both of their lives but the lives of everyone in their family.  

CRITIQUE

By far, the most overlooked film of 2007, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is an absolute knock-out.  This is a mesmerizing, unpredictable and fully engrossing thriller with one of the best ensemble casts from 2007 and an absolute master behind the camera who proves age has no bearing on what you can do in this life.  It is bleak and brutal, suspenseful and intense, and structurally bold and unconventional.

There aren’t many directors who could really make this material work as well as Lumet does here.  He manages to touch on so many different levels intellectually and emotionally, it is astounding.  Here is an 80+ year old guy who would seem to be way past his prime delivering a blistering, complex film very much like his best seventies films (like Dog Day Afternoon).

I loved the use of non-linear storytelling here, this is a textbook example of how that can still be relevant and interesting.  It seemed after Pulp Fiction so many films upon films used the non-linear structure and in far too many cases it hurt more than helped the film.

But Lumet gets it perfect here; the film jumps around in time but is still completely coherent and constantly building in complexity, depth and tension.  The look of the film is also unique and distinctly Lumet in that the interior shots are filmed in a pale blue, sterile look (very much a seventies look) while the exterior shots are all warmth and overblown saturation.  It helps distinguish the internal turmoil going on with these characters. 

The screenplay from Kelly Masterson is a masterwork of twists and turns that focuses on what so many don’t: building fascinating characters no matter what kind of fancy plot-work you have going on.  That is what resonates with this film, the brutal and emotional psychological trip these main characters go through in trying to break free from their rotten lives.

Of course, even the best of directors and screenplays mean squat without a phenomenal cast filling the shoes of these characters and that is exactly what Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead boasts.  This is one of the best ensemble casts of last year (the only other cast that comes close is from No Country for Old Men) and it features two award-worthy performances from two of the best actors out there.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is just thrilling in this film; to me, this is a much more emotional, rip-roaring performance than the one he was nominated for in Charlie Wilson’s War.  He probably would have received more attention for it if the film itself had gained an audience.  Hoffman gives a blistering, emotionally seething performance that stays with you long after the film is over (this is always a mark of a great performance).

And he is matched up perfectly with Ethan Hawke who gives a twitchy, wounded performance that makes his character much more empathetic and grounded than the way it is written.  Hawke is one of my favorite actors and he always swims under the radar somehow even though he’s given phenomenal performances in many great films.  One of these days he’ll really knock it out of the park and get the awards attention he deserves. 

The only somewhat odd role in the film is that of Marisa Tomei who (at least in the first half of the film) seems to only exist to just be naked every ten or fifteen minutes (almost like a prop).  Not like I’m complaining (because, wow!) but it is a little oft-putting at times (by the third or fourth time I actually laughed a bit).  Towards the very end there is a little meat to the performance and Tomei is always terrific when she’s given something to chew on (I mean she has to be one of the most underrated and under-used actresses working today).

Albert Finney rounds out the main cast and he does his usual growl-and-chew bit that he does now in almost every role.  But it does work like a charm here for this particular role.  The smaller bit roles are also first rate, especially Michael Shannon who tries to con the brothers out of some cash that leads to some dire consequences.

THE VIDEO

The film looks outstanding; it is filmed in that pale blue, gritty look (for the interior shots) and it looks perfect.  This 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is clean, crisp and stunning.

THE AUDIO

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and a 2.0 mix.  Personally, I didn’t even notice much of a difference between the two as both sounded impeccable.  The bass and surround really get a workout here and the dialogue is crystal clear.

THE EXTRAS

There are only two extras included with the disc.

There is a standard making-of featurette called Directed by Sidney Lumet: How the Devil was Made which has interviews with the cast and crew.  This goes through the normal motions talking with Lumet and the main cast about getting this film off the ground and how they approached their characters and what it was like to film.  It is a bit too promotional and basic for my tastes; it just goes through the typical motions.

But the second and last extra is much, much better; it’s a Commentary featuring Sidney Lumet, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Ethan Hawke.  This is a very loose but engaging and informative track that I found highly entertaining and definitely worth the time.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a knock-out thriller that will have you completely mesmerized with the events unfolding and (most importantly) fully invested in the characters (who see their lives spin out of control).  With a master behind the camera and an impeccable cast, this is a film to seek out.  The transfer and audio are outstanding on the disc.  There are just two extras, but one of them is definitely worth your time.