When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents’ jewelry store, the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that send them and their family hurtling towards a shattering climax.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Andy Hanson: Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Hank Hanson: Ethan Hawke
- Charles Hanson: Albert Finney
- Gina Hanson: Marisa Tomei
- Chris Lasorda: Aleksa Palladino
- Dex: Michael Shannon
- Martha Hanson: Amy Ryan
- Danielle: Sarah Livingston
- Bobby Lasorda: Brían F. O’Byrne
- Nanette Hanson: Rosemary Harris
- Justin: Blaine Horton
- Kathrine: Arija Bareikis
- William: Leonardo Cimino
- Jake: Lee Wilkof
- Doctor: Damon Gupton
- Grader: Myra Lucretia Taylor
- Hotel Receptionist: Marcia Jean Kurtz
- Security Guard: Adrian Martinez
- Priest: Patrick G. Burns
- Receptionist: Alice Spivak
- Secretary: Natalie Gold
- Attendant: Keith Davis
- Doorman (as Mateo Gomez): Mateo Gómez
- Officer: Chris Chalk
- Manager: Sakina Jaffrey
- Desk Sergeant: John Knox
- Agent: James Lally
- Agent #2: Jordan Gelber
- Nurse: Megan Byrne
- Vendor: Guy A. Fortt
- Andy’s Secretary: Meredith Patterson
- Junkie: Tom Zolandz
- Detective: Paul Butler
- Mourner #1: Anita Sklar
- Mourner #2: Josh Mowery
- Mourner #3: Diane Bradley
- Mourner #4 (as Richard K. Lublin): Richard Lublin
- Ambulance Driver: Bob Colletti
- Mall Shopper (uncredited): Mary DeBellis
- Bartender (uncredited): Alex Emanuel
- Katherine’s Husband (uncredited): Jack Fitz
- Hospital Guest (uncredited): Zeke Hawkins
- Drunk at Bar (uncredited): Charles Kopelson
- Mourner (uncredited): Denis McKeown
- Taxi Driver (uncredited): Nicholas E. Pagani
Film Crew:
- Conductor: Carter Burwell
- Casting: Ellen Lewis
- Production Sound Mixer: Chris Newman
- Director: Sidney Lumet
- First Assistant Director: Joseph P. Reidy
- Director of Photography: Ron Fortunato
- Electrician: Michael C. Maronna
- Production Design: Christopher Nowak
- Producer: William S. Gilmore
- Special Effects Coordinator: Steven Kirshoff
- Art Direction: Wing Lee
- Executive Producer: David Bergstein
- Casting: Lindsay Chag
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Robert Fernandez
- Executive Producer: Jane Barclay
- Executive Producer: Hannah Leader
- Screenplay: Kelly Masterson
- Producer: Michael Cerenzie
- Producer: Brian Linse
- Producer: Paul Parmar
- Executive Producer: Eli Klein
- Editor: Tom Swartwout
- Costume Design: Tina Nigro
- Executive Producer: Sam Zaharis
- Executive Producer: Belle Avery
- Executive Producer: Jeffry Melnick
- Executive Producer: J.J. Hoffman
- Co-Executive Producer: Guy Pham
- Co-Executive Producer: Joel Corenman
- Co-Producer: Jeff G. Waxman
- Co-Producer: Austin Chick
- Line Producer: Carol Cuddy
- Foley Artist: Jay Peck
- Hair Department Head: Wayne Herndon
- Props: Jeffrey Rollins
- Dolly Grip: Kenneth Fundus
- Stunts: Peter Epstein
- Stunt Coordinator: John Cenatiempo
- Set Decoration: Diane Lederman
- Production Intern: Griffin Newman
- Casting Associate: Geoffrey Miclat
- Electrician: William Louthe
- Stunt Coordinator: G. A. Aguilar
- ADR Editor: Mary Ellen Porto
- Location Coordinator: Alvaro Donado
- Associate Editor: Jennifer Lilly
- “B” Camera Operator: Peter Reniers
- Attorney: Wendy Benge
- Property Master: Tommy Allen
- Makeup Department Head: Patricia Regan
- Foley Recording Engineer: Ryan Collison
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Dave Paterson
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Dominick Tavella
- Sound Effects Editor: Damian Volpe
- Script Supervisor: Jessica Lichtner
- Extras Casting: Meredith Jacobson Marciano
- Color Timer: Joe Gawler
- Special Effects: John Stifanich
- “A” Camera Operator: Bruce MacCallum
- Set Costumer: Arlynn Abseck
- First Assistant “A” Camera: Heather Norton
- Catering: Andy Gilbert
- Scenic Artist: Christopher Weiser
- Construction Grip: Joseph Proscia
- Scenic Artist: Marcia C. Suter
- ADR Mixer: Ted Swanscott
- Key Hair Stylist: Diana Sikes
- Dolly Grip: Howard Davidson
- Stunts: Paul Marini
- Gaffer: Jerry DeBlau
- Stunts: Jill Brown
- Assistant Art Director: Blythe R.D. Quinlan
- Assistant Set Decoration: Christine Moosher
- Costumer: Lucia Lettini
- Rigging Grip: Joseph Viano
- Stunt Coordinator: Chris Cenatiempo
- Key Rigging Grip: Billy Kerwick
- Foley Editor: Rachel Chancey
- Dolby Consultant: Thomas Kodros
- Leadman: Kelly Solomon
- First Assistant “B” Camera: Angelo Di Giacomo
- Production Assistant: Han West
- Scoring Mixer: Michael Farrow
- Assistant Art Director: Alison Ford
- Second Assistant “A” Camera: Denny Kortze
- Production Intern: Grey Cusack
- ADR Recordist: Nick Foley
- Transportation Captain: Gene O’Neill
- Genetator Operator: Brooke Stanford
- Second Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
- Seamstress: Debbie Lucas
- Rigging Gaffer: Eric Leigh
- Boom Operator: Gregg Harris
- Key Grip: Richard Guinness Jr.
- Transportation Co-Captain: John Canavan
- Boom Operator: Warren A. Weberg
- Stunt Double: Keith Siglinger
- Stunt Driver: Bob Colletti
- Production Supervisor: Patty Willett
- Special Effects Technician: Richard Bryan Douglas
- Production Assistant: Glenn Ferrara
- Electrician: Richard A. Mitchell
- Grip: Brent Poleski
- Post Production Supervisor: Lilith Jacobs
- Electrician: Jerad Molkenthin
- Special Effects Technician: Phillip Beck
- Assistant Property Master: Ann Edgeworth
- ADR Mixer: Andy Welker
- Unit Publicist: Carol Green
- Key Costumer: Kate Quinlan
- Best Boy Grip: Glen Engels
- Online Editor: Jesse Morrow
- Location Scout: Jason Kadlec
- Colorist: Josh Olive
- Key Art Production Assistant: Courtney Aura Freeman
- Driver: David Conelli
- Grip: Kevin Gilligan
- Assistant Costume Designer: Chris Ann Pappas
- Graphic Designer: Joan Winters
- Set Production Assistant: Michael Richard Martin
- Legal Services: Brandon Blake
- Set Dresser: Doug Coleman
- Makeup Artist: Jeong-Hwa Fonkalsrud
- Second Second Assistant Director: John Silvestri
- On Set Dresser: Rafael Fraguada
- Construction Coordinator: Jim Miller
- Key Construction Grip: Frank Proscia
- Grip: Wesley Battle
- Electrician: Vincent Camuto Jr.
- Best Boy Electric: Kenneth Dodd
- Still Photographer: Will Hart
- Digital Imaging Technician: Abby Levine
- Second Assistant “B” Camera: Adam Miller
- Electrician: David Woolner
- Local Casting: Erin Mayhugh
- Casting Associate: Claire Traeger
- Extras Casting: Adam Vincentz
- Costume Supervisor: Nicole Evangelista
- Digital Intermediate: Michael P. Whipple
- Location Assistant: Ralph Pellegrini
- Location Manager: Daniel Strol
- Assistant Location Manager: Abigail Zealey Bess
- Production Secretary: Jason Fritz
- Production Accountant: Jim Hale
- Payroll Accountant: Patricia Porter
- First Assistant Accountant: Beth M. Schniebolk
- Second Assistant Accountant: Andrew D. Stocker
- Production Assistant: Kate Bogle
- Production Intern: Brian Hershkowitz
- Production Assistant: Michael C. Lizzio
- Set Production Assistant: Jesse Toledano
- Thanks: Neil Criscuolo
Movie Reviews:
- John Chard: The world is an evil place Charlie. Some of us make money off that and others get destroyed.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Kelly Masterson. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris and Amy Ryan. Music is scored by Carter Burwell and cinematography by Ron Fortunato.
Two brothers with differing financial problems plan to rob their parents’ jewellery store. But when all does not go to plan and tragedy strikes, it sends them, and those close to them, into a world of fear, shame and violence…
It opens with a raunchy sex scene, man and wife in the throes of committed passion, for these brief moments there is pleasure. Once over, though, it proves to be a false dawn, the last time anyone on screen will taste pleasure in Lumet’s biting morality tale. From here on in the film unfolds in a dizzying array of multi-perspectives and over lapping of narrative structure, a three pronged assault on the senses as a family implodes in a haze of greed, lies and inadequacies. A botched robbery underpins the plotting, the aftermath of which is what is most cutting, we zip around learning the wherewithal and whys of the key players, learning exactly what we need to know to fully immerse in this bleak world. This is a world populated by love cheats, drug abuse, embezzling, bad parenting and blackmail, a world where the brothers Hanson (Hoffman & Hawke) now dwell, either ill equipped (Hawke’s Hank) or stuck between idiocy and smug evil (Hoffman’s Andy). Their folly, their greed, impacting with a juddering severity on the family circle.
My life, it doesn’t add up. Nothing connects to anything else. I’m not the sum of my parts. All my parts don’t add up to one…me.
It would be Lumet’s last film (he passed away in 2011), thankfully it is a fitting final offering from the talented Philadelphian. He’s aided considerably, mind, by a razor sharp script from debut screenplay writer Masterton. It’s full of nastiness and tension, but still observational as a family tragedy, with major bonus’ being that it never resorts to stereotypes or cops out come the crushing denouement. Where Lumet excels is in drawing near faultless performances from his cast. Youthful and downtrodden haplessness portrayed by Hawke, Hoffman’s powerhouse manipulator with emotional issues, Tomei proving that over 40 is still sexy while dialling into a very touching performance. Finney, a cracker-jack of grief from the wily old fox, Ryan’s hard edged ex-wife and Michael Shannon strolling into the picture late in the day exuding notable menace. All splendidly guided by the great director who asks them to portray characters convincing in going deeper for motivations and means.
Bleak, brutal and near brilliant across the board. 9/10