Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Jul 12th, 2008 by craig
I watched this movie last weekend and have to say that this is one of the best dramas I’ve seen in a while. I’ve been a pretty big fan of Phillip Seymore Hoffman for some time now and his portrayal of the older brother is off the charts good. I believe everyone else in the movie benefits from his ability to “be” a character; everyone else has to bring it up to “be” their character with him. Although I do have to say that Marisa Tomei impressed me a great deal as well; she’s a much better actress than I had given her credit for in the past.
This movie works because even though it’s somewhat melodramatic (don’t miss the bonus materials) it’s so believable. It so easy for me to see two brothers deciding to do just what they did, and so easy to see how it all goes wrong. Much more realistic than the more stylized things that come out these days (the “opposites attract buddy” stories, the mix matched partner stories, or even things like the Bourne series) where the plots and characters are so extraordinary that you never escape from the reality that you are watching a movie!
You can’t have that realism along side happy endings. This is NOT a feel good movie. It’s a great movie, but it’s a tragedy – one of those like Edward Scissorhands that Kristin won’t watch. It’s a tragedy, but an awesomely great movie because of the craft that has gone into making it, from the director to the actors to the lighting guys; it’s a very, very well made film.