Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - A-

In theaters. Rated R, 117 minutes. Trailer.

"May you be in heaven a half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."

A heist film on its surface, this film plumbs the depths of depravity and betrayal amongst those closest to you and the suffering that comes with it. Philip Seymour Hoffman is Andy, a miserable and unjustifiably arrogant real estate accountant and Ethan Hawke is Hank, his harried deadbeat dad brother with a tender heart. In order to solve the money problems of the two brothers, they decide, in Bottle Rocket fashion, to rob their parent's mom and pop jewelry store. Andy originates and plans out the job, which goes as badly as it can. Click on the link below for the rest of the review.
Sweet Hank farms out the actual robbery to a loose cannon acquaintance that botches it and ends up getting himself killed and putting Hank and Andy's mom in a coma.

The second act shows the crime and the preceding days in non-linear fashion cutting from perspective to perspective with a crackling sound. Veteran director Sidney Lumet uses this technique masterfully to challenge the viewer's previously conceived notions of the characters with each cut. Hank is the only semi-innocent in the film, and Andy is one of the most evil characters I have seen this year. He uses his brother's innocence and takes advantage of him. Of course, Hank is having an affair with Andy's wife, Marisa Tomei. Tomei is strong as the empty/beautiful woman that would have an affair with her brother in law just to goad a reaction from her cold husband, and spends at least 5 minutes of the movie partially nude.

The film opens with Andy and Marisa in Brazil in a canine copulation followed by giddy post-coital talk. Its all downhill from there for both characters. Andy has built his life as a big F-U to his cold and 'too hard on him' father, played well (duh) by Albert Finney. He is scamming at his job and using cocaine and heroin to fill the void his fancy apartment and hot wife can't fill. His visits to a high-end heroin dealer are tense and expertly structured, with an oddly dressed and cold dealer. Philip Seymour Hoffman turns in a great performance, with a strong father/son scene and an all too real emotional breakdown following it. As he unwinds afer his mother is allowed to die, his self-control wanes and his true colors come out.

The music and cutting of the film reminded me a lot of Magnolia, along with the overall tone. The final act is suffocating and tense, as each of the main characters is at their breaking point. Being responsible for your mother's death and having your wife/daughter/dad hate you while your job goes down the drain is torturous. This may end up being an A after a repeat viewing, as I have thought a lot about it since I watched it Saturday night. Lots of good points made about fathers and sons, materialism, ego, family and money as the root of all evil. One of the best of the year.