Essentials: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

The title of the movie is taken from an Irish toast: “May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head; may you be 40 years in heaven, before the devil knows you’re dead.” An interesting insight when you consider that the film starts with the melancholy of a Yeats and gets more ominous by the film’s end. More ominous still is despite being one of director Sidney Lumet’s strongest films, it was also his last. Lumet died of Cancer April 9, 2011 leaving behind a legacy of marvelous films including 12 Angry Men (1957), Network (1976), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and The Verdict (1982).

Yea, this looks like a movie of quality

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead seemingly came out of nowhere. Lumet’s last feature was the little seen Vin Diesel vehicle Find Me Guilty (2006), which while being criminally underrated, is far from a masterpiece. While a confectioner of New York grit and a worthy contributor to the post-studio era of American films, even devotees like myself have to admit Lumet was a bit of a has been by the year 2000. He limped along making mediocre fare suitable for TV as opposed to large movie screens. Even during his heyday Critic Pauline Kael called his films counterfeit and Lumet himself a poor craftsman, “prodigal with bad ideas…”

If Kael were alive today she may have to eat crow given the directorial mastery present in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. Everything from the acting to the editing to the cinematography is just a joy to watch and the results are emotionally shocking that it’s hard not to appreciate the man and his “poor craftsmanship”. Lumet put his all into making Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and it shows. It brings to mind some of his non-flagship films like Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962) and Prince of the City (1981) only with the added bonus of digital film techniques.

And Marisa Tomei's Tomeitoes

But what exactly is this film about? I hear you cry. Well the storyline is relatively simple; two brothers (Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman) are in need of some quick cash for various reasons and decide to rob a strip mall jewelry store. It’s supposed to be a bloodless, victimless crime but things never go the way they should in films like these. Both Hawke and Hoffman do excellent jobs and are further bolstered by the likes of Marisa Tomei, Michael Shannon and an unforgettable performance by Albert Finney, the twos’ father.

The editing cuts back and forth between the past and present to design a collage of violence, affecting drama and grief. While jarring at first, the back and forth creates a fractured dialogue into your head. As soon as things start to settle, we are taken to another part of the journey and forced to piece things together. It’s a movie that took thought and therefore requires you to put thought into your viewing. Even if the story was told straight from beginning to end, it would still be devastating to watch; it’d just seem longer to get to the story’s jarring climax.

The less I say about Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, the better. I implore you, beseech you, dare you to just see this film. The movie may sound bleak but in a story where no one seems to come up on top, the audience certainly benefits. That and the esteemed Sidney Lumet who gets one last gem past the critics.

Eat it Pauline Kael!

Final Grade: A