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Before the devil knows you're dead - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Sidney Lumet
Threat advisory: Under evaluation
Movie propaganda
No one was supposed to get hurt.
From the unexpectedly graphic opening shot, director Sidney Lumet proves he hasn't lost any of his bite with age. Before the devil knows you're dead is a riveting suspense thriller that retains the director's classic approach to storytelling while updating it at the same time. Working from an intense, expertly woven script by playwright-turned-screenwriter Kelly Masterson, Lumet establishes his tragic tone immediately.
The story concerns a New York family with a roiling undercurrent of dysfunction. The eldest son, Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is a frustrated, drug-abusing stockbroker who is unable to satisfy his gorgeous wife (Marisa Tomei). The youngest son, Hank (Ethan Hawke), is passive and struggles to make alimony payments. Their parents (Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris) live in Westchester and operate a small jewellery store. Their lives begin to unravel when Andy approaches Hank about pulling off a heist that will seemingly solve all of their monetary problems. Everything about this idea is risky, yet Andy convinces his timid younger brother that this is his only way out of his current situation. Naturally, their plan falls apart, resulting in a series of tragedies that they never could have predicted.
Theatrical propaganda posters
Target demographic movie keyword propaganda
- Film crime thriller heist gone wrong dysfunctional family suspense
Persons of interest
- Philip Seymour Hoffman .... Andy
- Ethan Hawke .... Hank
- Albert Finney .... Charles
- Marisa Tomei .... Gina
- Rosemary Harris .... Nanette
- Aleksa Palladino .... Chris
- Michael Shannon .... Dex
- Amy Ryan .... Martha
- Brian F. O'Byrne .... Bobby
- Blaine Horton .... Justin
- Arija Bareikis .... Katherine
- Leonardo Cimino .... William
- Lee Wilkof .... Jake
- Kelly Masterson .... Screenwriter
- Sidney Lumet .... Director
Cinematic intelligence sources
- Before the devil knows you're dead official movie sites:
- Before the devil knows you're dead film production notes
- Before the devil knows you're dead QuickTime movie trailers
- Awards and film festivals:
- Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2008: Won: Best Ensemble Cast
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2008: Nominated: Critics Choice Award Best Acting Ensemble, Best Director (Sidney Lumet)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2008: Nominated: Best Screenplay, Original (Kelly Masterson)
- Independent Spirit Awards 2008: Nominated: Best First Screenplay (Kelly Masterson), Best Supporting Female (Marisa Tomei)
- London Critics Circle Film Awards 2008: Nominated: British Supporting Actor of the Year (Albert Finney)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association 2008: Won: Best Supporting Actress (Amy Ryan)
- International Press Academy Golden Satellite Awards 2008: Won: Best Ensemble, Motion Picture; Nominated: Best Director (Sidney Lumet), Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Screenplay Original (Kelly Masterson)
- NB: The title is taken from the 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."
- Studios and distributors:
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
The crime, thriller movie Before the devil knows you're dead is directed by Sidney Lumet and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei.
Government security censorship classification
MA 15+ (Strong sex scene and drug use, also contains violence)
Surveillance time
117 minutes (1:57 hours)
Not for public release in Australia before date
Film: 20 March 2008
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