Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
| Before the Devil Knows You're Dead | |
|---|---|
theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Sidney Lumet |
| Produced by | Paul Parmar Michael Cerenzie Brian Linse William S. Gilmore |
| Written by | Kelly Masterson |
| Starring |
Philip Seymour Hoffman Ethan Hawke Marisa Tomei Albert Finney |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
| Cinematography | Ron Fortunato |
| Edited by | Tom Swartwout |
| Distributed by | THINKFilm |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
123 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$18 million |
| Box office | US$25 million |
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a 2007 crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, his last feature film before his death in 2011.
The film was written by Kelly Masterson, and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, and Albert Finney. The title comes from the Irish saying: "May you be in heaven a full half-hour before the devil knows you're dead". The film unfolds non-linearly, repeatedly going back and forth in time, with some scenes shown from various points of view.
The film received critical acclaim, and was selected as one of 2007's ten most influential American films by the American Film Institute at the 2007 AFI Awards.
Note: The story is explained here in its chronological order, rather than as it is presented in the film.
Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a finance executive at a real estate firm in New York City. Facing an upcoming audit he knows will reveal his having embezzled from his employer (in support of a drug habit), Andy decides to escape to Brazil, believing there to exist no extradition treaty between Brazil and the United States. To raise the necessary funds for the trip and to establish himself once there, he hatches a scheme and enlists the aid of his brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), himself in need of money to pay three months' back child support as well as his daughter's private school tuition. Hank, meanwhile, has been having a long-standing affair with Andy's wife, Gina (Marisa Tomei), who has been unsatisfied with her marriage.
Of the two brothers, Hank is well-meaning, but weak-willed and cowardly, easily dominated by his stronger-willed older brother, Andy, a ruthless schemer. Andy in turn harbors great resentment that his younger and more attractive brother received more love and affection from his parents than he did during childhood. Andy devises a plan to rob their parents' jewelry store, to which Hank reluctantly agrees. Andy argues that he cannot go himself because he has been in the neighborhood recently, and could therefore be recognized. They assume that only Doris, an elderly woman who works for their parents, will be in the store. Andy states that just a toy gun is needed and that it is a victimless crime, because insurance will fully compensate their parents for the stolen items. Andy plans to fence the jewelry via a New York City dealer his father knows, and expects to net about US$120,000 from the robbery.
...
Wikipedia