I liked this movie very much. Although the film was not perfect, sometimes the musical score seemed out of place for the conversation, and the story that has been told many times before, seemed to meander in parts. But the movie was not boring. Far from it, the superb acting kept me completely entertained throughout the whole film. This was possible because of great directing on the part of Sidney Lumet. I don't know if I was biased on the part of the 83 year old Hollywood genius, but every actor in this film seemed completely brilliant. Philip Seymour Hoffman was at his best as the older brother with a chip on his shoulder, who started with nothing and worked his way up to a corner office in Manhattan, but he had human frailties and still managed to make a complete mess of his life. Ethan Hawke gave his best performance yet as the younger brother that has never learned how to grow up. Albert Finney gave a powerful performance as the over bearing father whose affections both brothers were vying for. Marisa Tomei finally put in a great acting job and was not just walking around like eye candy (Although she did look really good). And it went on and on, Rosemary Harris and Amy Ryan very good, and even Michael Shannon and Leonardo Cimino were great in small roles. All this great acting could not be a coincidence; it is a testament to how Sidney Lumet, after all these years, can still make a human crime drama.
Review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
