MOVIE CONSENSUS A tense and effective thriller, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead marks a triumphant return to form for director Sidney Lumet.
MOVIE SYNOPSIS NEW YORK PREMIERE AT NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL 2007 IN THEATRES OCTOBER 26, 2007 (Limited) From the unexpectedly graphic opening shot, director Sidney Lumet proves he hasn’t lost any of his bite with age. more...
MPAA RATING R, for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language.
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Lumet tries getting back to the outrageous satirical mode of Network and Just Tell Me What You Want, but this family dysfunction story fails the classic requirements of social critique.
One of the pleasures of "Devil" is watching what a classic, old-school director Lumet is, focusing intensely on character and staging rather than relying on fast edits or visual trickery.
It revisits [Dog Day Afternoon's] claustrophobic suspense and deep compassion for its characters -- abject, grasping everymen who truly believe they're only one act of violence away from everything they've ever wanted.
Lumet's "Network" earned an incredible five acting nominations come Oscar time (three wins) and I wouldn't be surprised to see "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" earn a solid four.
The real kudos should go to screenwriter Kelly Masterson, who provocatively mixed a crime drama premise into a film exploring the legacy of damage family members impose upon one another.
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.
Director Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon) twists suspense around terrific ensemble performances in screenwriter Kelly Masterson's character-driven crime thriller that is at turns sexy, hilarious and devastating.
Watching this impeccably crafted melodrama, you feel grateful for a veteran filmmaker who serves a gripping story with a confident efficiency that's lean, mean and focused like a laser.
Working with the startlingly talented new screenwriter Kelly Masterson, Lumet fuses dark wit, suspense and tragedy into a time-shifting movie that vibrates with energy.
Family, and the core ideals that hold them in place, are blown to smithereens by the robbery at the ravaged heart of Sidney Lumet's scalding new thriller.
I think you'll laugh a lot at what [Lumet] has wrought here -- but only well after the movie is over and the full scale of its perversity settles into your bones.
After a long series of artistic missteps, Sidney Lumet, 83, makes a smashing return to form with this bleak crime thriller that shows off the veteran director's many strengths.
The 83-year-old Mr. Lumet, who has handled such immortals as Brando and Magnani in his career, expertly extracts individually charismatic performances from Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Hawke, Mr. Finney, Ms. Harris and Ms. Tomei.
This 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.
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.