 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
- Review Date: March 3, 2008
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Mature heist film full of violence, explicit sex.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this intense, mature heist film about two adult brothers who conspire to rob their parents -- no one is supposed to get hurt, but things go very awry -- definitely isn't for kids. It's full of loud, bloody, harrowing violence (including a robber exchanging gunfire with an elderly woman) and some pretty explicit sex scenes (thrusting, panting, naked bottoms, visible breasts/nipples). Several scenes show drinking and explicit drug use (cocaine, marijuana, heroin), and there's adultery, cigarette smoking, and plenty of strong language ("f--k," "s--t," and more).
What's the story?
In BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD, greedy Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) convinces his younger, more earnest, and less clever brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) to carry out a robbery at their parents' jewelry store. The crime is meant to be victimless, but it goes very badly, leaving a masked accomplice dead, Andy and Hank's mother Nanette (Rosemary Harris) in a coma, and Hank in a complete panic. The rest of the film provides sketchy, somewhat predictable context for each brother: While Andy fears losing his wife, Hank is desperately behind on child. At the same time, they must put on a show for their distraught father, Charles (Albert Finney), while their mother lies dying in the hospital. As each brother reveals his fears and disappointments, he also discovers that his life is too far gone to recover. Addicted to cocaine and heroin, Andy can't find a dark enough hole in which to disappear. And Hank, making one bad decision after another, discovers that he'll never be as rich -- or as miserable -- as his brother.
Is it any good?
At its best, Sidney Lumet's latest movie reflects this torment and rage in its complex structure and excellent performances; as the story cuts back and forth in time, viewers come to see motives and consequences gradually, piecing characters together as they come to understand themselves. But at its worst, the movie lapses into melodramatic formula, with men clashing and competing while women suffer.
Though the brothers' gnarly relationship creates a compelling puzzle, the women around them tend to fall by the wayside, serving more as evidence of the men's failures than as characters with their own lives -- or deaths. Even Nanette's passing becomes an occasion for the boys to argue and flail about. As reckless and forlorn as the brothers and their father may be, you can only imagine how much worse it is for the women who live with them.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the characters' bad/strained family relationships. Why do the brothers resent their father? How do they act out with each other? What role does Gina fulfill for both of the brothers? Do you think relationships like these are realistic? Is it more "entertaining" to see a movie about dysfunctional characters or functional ones? Why?
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AGE
Suspenseful Thriller of a Dysfunctional Family
This movie is inappropriate for almost everyone under the age of 17 so I gave this movie and "off" instead of a "pause." This movie is also not for people with weak constitutions because this movie contains extreme family dysfunction throughout the course of the film. Just to get this out of the way, this movie does not have an "uplifting" ending that most viewers would want. This movie is for people who want to watch a movie with character depth, dark but amazing story, and intense thrills. In this case, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead hits the mark masterfully.
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AGE
Certainly not for kids.
Sidney Lummet shows he still has the magic touch with this delicious little melodrama. Performances are sublime and the direction is exquisite.
The reason I wouldn't recommend it for young children is because of the large amount of nudity (Marisa Tomei is at least topless most of the time) and sex. The movie starts with an explicit "doggy style" sex scene between Tomei and Seymour Hoffman's (Yay! you see his bare fat a$$:) characters.
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AGE
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Rated R: Gory Violence, Graphic Sex, Strong Language, and Strong Drug Use
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| Studio: | THINKFilm |
| Director: | Sidney Lumet |
| Cast: | Albert Finney, Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 117 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 26, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | April 14, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language. |
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