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Showing all 28 reviews...
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I almost feel like giving this one 5/10, but the acting saves it somewhat. The first 20-30 minutes are awesome, both acting and storyline. But then, it all kind of falls apart, and it actually starts losing its nice pace, its coolness, its edginess, and starts to be just plain annoying and cumbersome. Kudos do go to Ethan Hawke for a great role. Haven't seen him play this kind of "troubled" soul in quite some time, and he pulls it off amazingly well, thus why I can live with giving this one a 6/10. And Philip Seymour Hoffman is also quite good, but the writing (and I guess the directing) just sinks this one. And I had no expectations at all when watching it. So it's not like I expected a masterpiece...
6/10
3.10.2008 -
rimbaud1972@ - age: 26-35
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Never see this movie it is the worst movie in my entire life! It has ruined movies for me! It is sooo bad! Dont see it whatever you do!
1/10
2.9.2008 -
ckueber@ - age: 26-35
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Director Sidney Lumet certainly does not betray his considerable age with this tragic but relevant tale. Philip Seymour Hoffman is terrific as usual (playing an unlikeable but not entirely unsympathetic character) and is supported by some strong work from Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney. For those who have been looking forward to seeing Marisa Tomei in a mature role sans clothing, this movie will not disappoint. I was very glad to see that the director kept the gunfire to a minimum in this story, which meant that each shot fired had significance because its consequence could be seen and felt. At my screening, the killing of an unconscious bystander drew gasps from the crowd and a shocked 'WTF' comment from the friend with whom I went to see this film. Kudos to Lumet for making the audience react to a single shot, which is no mean feat considering how cavalier Hollywood is about gunplay in cinema and how audiences have become desensitized to characters being gunned down. People who enjoy crime thrillers or capers should note that Lumet makes a strong moral statement with this tale and that things don't end well for anybody. If that's not the type of story you enjoy, you may want to pass on this movie. If you like 'old school' films that are strong on characterization and plot and actually something to say about human nature and society, then you'll definitely want to check out this movie.
7/10
12.24.2007 -
deuxpamplemousse@ - age: 50+
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This film is unrelentingly, unredeemingly DEPRESSING!! In its favour, it is extremely well acted, well filmed and well edited. The story is told in a similar fashion to Crash or Memento, in flashes back and forth from different people's perspectives. I wish they'd shown more about the Mother though. She seemed to be little more than a prop. I found the story in general to be rather oppressive. It just keeps taking a straight line to the worse possible scenario. There was no meaningful kind of redemption that makes all that disaster at least have meaning in someone's life. It's just the Great Unravelling of everything these people tried to achieve in their lives. Is that what the writer wants to do - scare the h*ll out of us by putting up a big sign that says "DON'T GO THERE and here's why"? Maybe. I think we learn better when we are shown a better alternative, which was sorely lacking in this film. The message seemed to be: Life inevitably crumbles and then you die - probably at the hands of someone you did wrong by! It also left frustrating loose ends. And I felt the depth of character explanation fell short of the enormous complexity of the story. I'm glad I saw it, if only for the superb acting, but by the end I was looking around for a wall to bang my head against.
6/10
12.24.2007 -
scorpio_mystique@ - age: 50+
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More than anything, the tone of "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" provides the pleasure and distinguishes it from other thrillers. There’s the family business, to begin with, as a pair of financially strapped brothers plot to knock off a suburban, mom-and-pop jewelry store owned by their mom and pop. The heist is just the latest bad decision made by Andy and Hank (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke), the central chumps in this bleak morality tale. The plan goes horribly wrong, of course, and Lumet teams with debut screenwriter Kelly Masterson to backtrack the characters’ stories. The conclusion is as brutal as it is inevitable, a Shakespearean tragedy of blackly comedic errors. Backtrack the characters’ stories.
9/10
12.22.2007 -
ladyblues_@ - age: 50+
This makes you think. It shows how fast someone could go so deep in trouble. I liked it.
8/10
12.21.2007 -
cutyjewel@ - age: 26-35
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This movie was horrible. I would have left if weren't for my friend who was, in fact, enjoying it. It's very sick and will leave you wishing for a bucket to vomit in. It's too bad Marisa Tomei had to pick this movie to show off her "goodies".. and "goodies" they were, indeed. Those were the best moments in this film because it was the only times that I found myself forgetting about how sick this movie is... lol.
4/10
12.18.2007 -
mr_6string@ - age: 36-49
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