Before the Devil Knows You're DeadMovie Reviews

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• So-so Based on 900 reviews
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• So-so
  Written November 6, 2007

  bleak movie

  by normheath

  This movie isn't for the faint-of-heart. One of us hated it. There was no-one to identify with - all the characters were basically nasty and unpleasant. The film wasn't entertainment, just torture.
  The other half of us was grippped by the suspense and thought the acting was amazing. The plot unfolded like a Greek tragedy. Overweening hubris, one thing goes wrong and the characters fall deeper into an ever-wideneing morass.
  The events seemed to follow inevitably - but this is not something I'd go to see if I wanted to be inspired or uplifted.
  A very nasty morality tale.

  • 6 out of 7 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written November 7, 2007

  Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

  by flic_chick

  4 stars…Absolutely mesmerizing! A "what can go wrong, will go wrong" tragedy.
  Great acting, actors, and suspenseful story. One of the best movies I've seen this year. If you liked "A Simple Plan", you'll love this.

  • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written November 21, 2007

  Riveting,spellbinding,a tour de force

  by butteredkorn

  The perfomances were outstanding.The movie is edited like a Novel,where each day of a different character in the movie is recapped with the focus point being on a fewdays before or a few days after the day of the heist. This gives the characters and the movie a more fractured or splinttered feel which bodes well with what Lumet is trying to do.
  I loved this movie,it is the best movie i have seen this year,and probably the best Sydney Lumet movie i have ever seen. Come oscar time i look for it to be in the Director,Movie of the year catogories and Hoffman and Hawke garnish nominations.

  • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written December 5, 2007

  Definitely a Different Type of Movie Going Exprience.......

  by Legio XIII Germina

  This movie was extremely well directed, and the acting in this movie was also very well done too. This is a extremely interesting DRAMA/SUSPENSE type of movie, there is a lot of curves and "what the hell just happeneds", in this movie, which means you have to pay attention to the plot as it unfolds before your eyes!

  • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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• 
  Written November 3, 2007

  before the devil knows you're dead

  by swimmaster

  This movie was excellently acted - even Ethan Hawke's role was well-done. He's usually a little smirky for me, but not so much this time. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was fantastic. But there are two cinematic conceits here. The first one is minor, which is that Hawke and Hoffman don't look in any way related. This is not a big deal, but the second one is. There are generally only three ways that a person would be attracted to another: 1. the person has a wonderful personality, 2. the person is gorgeous, or 3. that person is rich. Well, I gotta' tell ya', the character that Hoffman plays in this movie had none of the above, right? He is a middle-level white collar drone, he is overweight, and we know he's particularly nasty. Plus, the fact that Marisa Tomei is drop-dead gorgeous makes the coupling even more odd and non-credible. What was Lumet thinking?

  • 4 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written November 15, 2007

  Great film not for everyone

  by odietaffystella

  If you must see a feel good film, if you like typical Hollywood films, if you like a hero then dont see this film. If you want to see a great film about the dark side of life with fantastic acting this is for you. Great script and very reminiscent of French film noir. I personally really really like it. This film was made by a director that was interested in the genre with no care for what the Hollywood public might want to see, BRAVO!!!! We need more fiilms like this.

  • 3 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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• Go
  Written July 13, 2008

  Surprisingly solid

  by Roger511

  At this point, the movies been out for ages. I rented it on a whim at Blockbuster, due to the solid cast of names on the DVD box. I wasn't disappointed.
  
  Not a family friendly movie by any stretch...the movies open involves Philip Seymour Hoffman gettin his hump on with Marisa Tomei...and she is topless for a good portion of the movie for some reason, which I must say I did not find disappointing :)
  
  The movie was a tale of a plot gone awry, lots of twists and turns, and I guess you'd call it time-gapping...keeps going back and forth to pick up where it left off. A bit of a depressing film, as it shows that the capability for humans to plumb the lowest of the lows morality wise is pretty unlimited. Definitely worth renting.

  • 4 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written November 16, 2007

  Great ensemble, riveting movie

  by jmeltzer

  This was just a fabulous movie. It stayed with us for days afterward. The acting was superb, the editing was perfect and the direction for Sidney Lumet was great. The story line, which I won't give away, is original and upsetting. The characters, and their motivations, become more complex as the movie goes on. It's a must see.

  • 3 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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• So-so
  Written December 3, 2007

  For Acting Students and Cinema Buffs Only

  by tedoff

  The acting performances were simply outstanding. If you want to see good writing, and actors that are at the top of their game bringing this story to life then by all means, see it this movie. That being said, as an overall movie experience, the story, directing, and overall production left me unable to take an emotional interest in any of the characters. The only one who might have been regarded as sympathetic, the father played by Finney, was not developed enough to understand the totality of his actions and the influence he had on the other characters. Otherwise the desparation and the complete lack of mirth felt too heavy, too humorless (and therefore unreal, since even the most desparate situations are often the source of humor) to have me feel it worthwhile to make an investment in the outcome of this story.

  • 3 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  Written January 24, 2008

  Before The Devil Knows You're Dead

  by rashur305

  I enjoyed this movie. Packed with a great cast, it keeps you entertained throughout. The plot lines up to be something that you think you can predict but about half way through this movie you realize that you really can't guess the ending. Interesting and "low-budget" looking cinematography. Definitely an adult movie.
  
  Great acting from Ethan Hawke, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Marissa Tomei along with a very stable supporting cast. If you are looking for something different, see this movie - if you are looking for your typical poppy flick, don't. I probably won't buy this movie for my collection but it's definitely worth the money to see it while it's in the theatre. The reviews I've read have said it's a good movie and I would agree.
  

  • 8 out of 15 found this review helpful.
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• Oh No!
  Written January 11, 2008

  One of the worst of the year

  by cjtolmie

  This movie was awful. I was shocked at how much I didn?t like it. Good actors with an awful script. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, was so thoroughly unlikable it was hard to care what happened to him, infact you almost want to see him suffer. Ethan Hawke was so pathetic and such a cry baby I couldn?t stand him either. Even Marisa Tomei was clunky and unlikeable. All the likeable folk die. Depressing, and difficult to watch due to the horrible script and horrible characters. This was well below the actors who performed in this film. Only watch this if you are a machocist.

  • 6 out of 11 found this review helpful.
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• No
  Written November 26, 2007

  Before the Ddevil Knows You're Dead

  by maurapdx

  The story and the script are excellent. What runined it for four of us was the unnecessary graphic sex scenes. One of our group (a man) left and sat out the entire movie in the lobby. Mention of those scenes should be made in the reviews. I would hate to think that young people are seeing the movie.

  • 3 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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• I'll Pass
  Written July 2, 2010

  by Highway_Haus

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• Must Go!
  Written November 18, 2007

  Before the devil knows you're dead

  by shepzuckaol.com

  a dark & disturbing movie with superb acting by all.

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• I'm In
  Written May 1, 2010

  by Jedlander2001

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