Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

[CheezeFlixz]

Ok this is one of those movies that's good, but still manages to get on my nerves.

The story is simple, 2 brothers have money problems plan a robbery and the twist in turn gets the entire family involved and nothing good comes of it for anyone. So needing the extra cash, the two brothers conspire to pull off the perfect, victimless crime. No guns, no violence, no problem. But when an accomplice ignores the rules and crosses the line, his actions trigger a series of events in which no one is left unscathed.

Good story right? Well yea, it is.

But the annoying part is the endless flashbacks, flash forwards, flash here, flash there ... the flash I enjoyed was Marisa Tomei topless in many scenes, that's worth watching it right there. Can't believe she is 43, you can tell she's never had kids. Anyhoo ... Some flashbacks are good, to many gets annoying as they tend to repeat what's be covered, it became predictable, one scene would end and the flashback would roll right into the scene you just saw. So I'm like seen this part already, let's move on please.

Over all the movie was good, good story and as usual Philip Seymour Hoffman did an outstanding job, Ethan Hawke was Ethan Hawke ... I didn't agree with the casting as the family didn't even look remotely related. Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman  brothers, and Albert Finny is their Dad ... right! There were other family members that looked equally unrelated.

This movie as with most movies nowadays, had strings left hanging, holes big enough to drive a bus through, unanswered questions and errors that make you go yeah right. but it was enjoyable, Philip Seymour Hoffman's fine acting and Marisa Tomei prancing about in panties and no top is it real saving grace, otherwise it'd be just another movie.

I'm not raving over it, but I'm not slamming it either, it was better than bad.  I don't think it lived up to it's 7+ rating on IMDB. I'm giving it 2.5 out of 5. Average.

[ulthar]

Here's my take on this flick that I wrote a couple of months ago.

In short, I really could not stand it and was dumbfounded when I went to IMDB and learned just how much so many people seemed to like it.  It just did not work for me AT ALL.

[Sister Grace]

I had really been looking forward to this movie...and then i saw it. But hey, life is full of disappointments right?

[Torgo]

This could have been a great flick but it's structured horribly IMO.    Too bad as the performances are tremendous throughout and it's a genuinely interesting and original film plotwise.

and yes, I completely agree that Marisa Tomei's topless scenes were very nice indeed!   

[CheezeFlixz]

Here's my take on this flick that I wrote a couple of months ago.

In short, I really could not stand it and was dumbfounded when I went to IMDB and learned just how much so many people seemed to like it.  It just did not work for me AT ALL.

I search the threads to see if one was already started and it didn't return any finds.

Anyway, sorry to repeat a thread already started.

However, I agree with your review completely, I guess I was kind in my rating as I've seen some real bombs here lately and this was better than those, barely. The CD issue was pointless and had nothing to do with the story, they showed him going in and looking at the CCTV and then what nothing happened, a false part of the story. There was several things like that, just too many loose strings and things happening that never came to be. Much of the film was predictable, you just knew soon as you saw something that it would be a factor later and pretty much what that factor would be. 

But after watch about 5 real bombs in role over the last couple of weeks, at least this one had something of a story even if the script was ripped out of the book and shuffled back together then shot. There was another movie I watched recently that was shot from 3 people perspective and it was the same crap over and over again ... don't even remember the name of it as it was just that memorable. I really don't like spending 2 hours to watch a 15 minute film. Other crap movies as of late were "The Good Humor Man" - bomb,  "War or the Worlds 2" - bomb, "The Signal" - annoying film.  And a couple of more I wasted valuable time of my life on.

I believe that only decent new release I've seen lately is "Doomsday" and I reviewed in Good Films was a total rip off of several films, but it was a fun film to watch. 

[ulthar]

I search the threads to see if one was already started and it didn't return any finds.

Anyway, sorry to repeat a thread already started.

No Worries.   

If you want something mind-blowing to distract you from the dreck, check out STALKER, unless, of course, you already know you don't like Tarkovsky.  I'm a fan of weirded out sci fi like this, even if it's very slow paced.

(My comments on STALKER here)

[Sister Grace]

I'll have to check out Stalker, I really liked his movie, Offret.