Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

When two brothers organize the robbery of their parent's jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife hurtling towards a shattering climax.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writer:

Kelly Masterson

Stars:

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney

17 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Andy
Ethan Hawke	...	Hank
Albert Finney	...	Charles
Marisa Tomei	...	Gina
Aleksa Palladino	...	Chris
Michael Shannon	...	Dex
Amy Ryan	...	Martha
Sarah Livingston	...	Danielle
Brían F. O'Byrne	...	Bobby
Rosemary Harris	...	Nanette
Blaine Horton	...	Justin
Arija Bareikis	...	Katherine
Leonardo Cimino	...	William
Lee Wilkof	...	Jake
Damon Gupton	...	Doctor

Storyline

Needing extra cash, 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.

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Plot Keywords:

gun | violence | death | sex scene | sibling rivalry | 

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Taglines:

Greed. Betrayal. Revenge. Families can be murder.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Antes que el diablo sepa que has muerto

Filming Locations:

Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$73,837, 26 October 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$7,083,025, 9 March 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capitol Films, Funky Buddha Productions, Unity Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS (as dts)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sidney Lumet was introduced to digital film techniques through this production and reportedly loved working with digital film, primarily due to it's convenience. This was his first and ultimately only film to be shot in the digital format.

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Goofs

When Charles phones the police department looking for Detective Barrett to check up on his wife's case, the phone is answered by the greeting "22nd Precinct". The 22nd Precinct is the NYPD Central Park Precinct in Manhattan. Follow-up on a case out of Westchester, where the crime took place, would either be a Brooklyn precinct since we learned that Bobby LaSorda was from Red Hook, Brooklyn or with the Midtown North Precinct (also known as the 18th), the home of NYC's diamond district, the most likely known destination for the would-be stolen loot within local NY law enforcement. There would be no reason to phone the Central Park Precinct.

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Quotes

Dex: You don't look happy. Mind if I call you "Groucho"?
Andrew 'Andy' Hanson: No, I don't mind.

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Connections

Referenced in By Sidney Lumet (2015)

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Soundtracks

Julia
(2003)
Written by Christopher Ziter, Alexandra Bell, Jeffrey Baron
Performed by Essex Green (as The Essex Green)
Courtesy of Merge Records
By Arrangement with Bank Robber Music

User Reviews

In a back-and-forth style, Sydney Lumet's psychological crime thriller is good to watch…

After a cold sex scene, between Andy and Gina, in South America, we know that Andy is a payroll manager who finds himself in a hard economic situation where he badly needs some extra money… We also discover that he has been stealing from his job and using the money to his drug habits… He's also attempting to keep up with his wife, who just might be having an affair…

To solve all their problems, he persuades his brother—a likable loser—to join him in a plan to steal their own parent's small store… Their parents are happily married and proprietors of a jewelry store situated in New York's Westchester County… Sixty thousand dollars is all they'll need to get their life out of desperation…

Three main characters are important in this movie…

First the two brothers… Each of them is a complex individual, threatened with multiple motivations, and sunk into doubts and disappointments… The two are desperate characters, financially and emotionally…

Andy is selfish… He feels that he has never had the love of his father… He is the corrupting influence, turning his brother into an assailant, and his beautiful woman into an adulteress…

Hank is a puppet too weak to resist his brother's wishes… His ex-wife is one of the reasons he needs money as he owes her hundreds in child support…. He longs to regain the confidence he once had with his father…

The third character is their weary and deplorable father Charles Hanson (Albert Finney), especially in the haunting climactic scenes…

Telling you more about the details could lessen the impact of the film, and therefore the entertainment...

Tomei's performance conveys great depth and emotion even with her look, her touch, her particular move…

Lumet's direction is firm, fresh and brutal.