I have a art theatre and this is one of those films you know your audience will enjoy. I can't wait to open it.

A outstanding piece of cinema with a first rate performance by phillip seymour hoffman and a great story told with a magicians touch.

This film is incredible. The writing, the acting, the timing, the directing . . . everything, impeccable. Nothing I write here will even do it justice. But I will try, if everyone makes every effort to go and see this film. Lumet reveals the crucial moment in the first ten minutes, before you've had a chance to empathize with the characters or understand their motivations. That quickly changes, as the film cuts to the circumstances leading up to and after the event, a botched jewelery store robbery. And this is not your average robbery, which is part of what makes this film so captivating. Two down-and-out brothers, Andy and Hank, believe robbing their parent's jewelery store provides a quick fix to their looming problems, including Hank's (Ethan Hawke) child support payments and disdainful treatment from his ex-wife and daughter and Andy's (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) drug addictions, painful marriage and IRS trouble at work. When everything that can go wrong with the robbery does, viewers are left with the aftermath, which builds suspense, empathy and regret to a level no crime drama has ever reached.… Expand

See it for the tatas. Great characters, great acting, great directing, but all overshadowed by Marisa Tomei's babilicious breastitude. If you only see one set of tatas this Christmas, see this movie.

Brilliantly envisioned and executed by a master craftsman with actors at the height of their game.

Baby boomer parents, 3 kids, and a tragedy. This is the most nightmarish scenario I could have ever dreamed up happening to a family like mine -- all I can say is I'm lucky to have escaped from, and rediscovered my family. The performances in this movie, especially an Oscar worthy one by PSH, are worth seeing by themselves. Go see this one and then clean your palate with this year�39;s more lighthearted baby boomer + 3 kids + death in the family movie: The Darjeeling Limited. Thank you.… Expand

Best Ensemble Acting I Have Ever Seen. Hoffman's work in particular is the stuff of legend.

Very dark movie. It is good though.

Great flick! I can't believe Lumet is 83 years old. You'll definitely enjoy this very well constructed thriller. Great performances from everyone.

Painful but fascinating cinema. Could not take eyes off screen. Fantastic acting by all. Not for the squeamish. Tradecraft in this film is a 10.

This is an incredibly engrossing film where the stakes are raised with each successive scene. Hoffman is a virtuoso of pain and rage.

Is there such a thing as an uplifting downer? That can be the only apt way to describe "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead", which to me, plays like "Death of a Salesman" as film noir. A palpable excitement will build inside your cerebral cortex as you watch Andy(Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank(Ethan Hawke) descend into hell. The entire story takes place almost entirely in broad daylight. The dark places are inside their hearts. It's like watching two cockroaches with no place to hide. "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" scorches the screen with old familial resentments and betrayals. There's no redemption for Andy, the ringleader, only comeuppance. The look on Charles' face(Albert Finney's face) is unfatherly, understandable, and unbelievably hateful. For once, the non-linear structure of the screenplay doesn't feel arbitrary. The stops and reverses help amplify and clarify the next great, gut-wrenching pitstop, en route to a wonderfully malevolent realization of catharsis for the vigilante. "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a great white-knuckle ride. It will drain you. It's a near-masterpiece.… Expand

Great movie. Lumet shows at his age that he can direct drastic and emotionally pulverizing film with excellent support from actors Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke.

Very entertaining movie overall. Simple story, but masterfully done. The non-linear, multiple point of view storytelling works wonderfully and it seems Phillip Seymour Hoffman just continues to give great acting performances.

Easily Lumet's best film since "The Verdict", but also one of the best films he's ever made.

Bizarre premise with superb cast, outrageously funny, with oh so many levels of recognizable relationships,

A film anchored by a rock-solid central performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman, and not quite undone by Ethan Hawke's acting-by-numbers hackery.

Grossly overlooked at the Oscars. In a year without "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men," this movie would not have been overlooked. Chilling, entertaining, almost Shakespearean melodrama.

Brilliant; the acting was the best I've seen in some while, the directing marks an incredible mastery by the aging Lumet, and the minor-key score works perfectly in cohesion with the rest of the film. The only thing to note was that the ending-- while the only sensible way to go-- was too predictable, which took away much of the impact; which, in turn, also stole the scenes of its emotional impact due to its predictability, while it still retained its mesmerizing imagery. Though, undoubtedly, for those who somehow did not foresee the conclusion, it was a very emotional ending, but I would like to reccommend to those who thought that this was actually a depressing movie to watch Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece-- it will sap the will to live out of you, while simultanesouly also being one of the most beautiful films you have ever seen (and while the score on Metacritic is a bit biased, other compilation sites prove the film is a very well-reviewed film, for any who might have doubts.) But as for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, the verdict remains: it's brilliant, and definitely one of the best under-looked films of 2007.… Expand

A distressing, tense, and and dark character film that is like having a 2 hour long anxiety attack. This twisting and turning story really ratchets up the stress leading to its conclusion. Interestingly, none of the characters are likeable (though well acted). Definatley worth seeing.

ethan hawk and philip Seymour Hoffman take you on rocky journey and you to watch every beautifully tragic moment. Sri k it all in. Even the horrific end. Humor of humanity is smattered throughout.

Great movie! Hoffman is GOD!

Every scene is essential and economical. All the fat has been trimmed and what is left is a story so simple you want to scream at Hoffman and Hawke's characters for not anticipating the outcome. And Marisa Tomei!!! I'm speechless.

This is a great movie: it should become a classic. On DVD commentary, director Sidney Lumet continually refers to film as a 'melodrama." Malybe he does this to protect himself, but he should refer to it as a "tragedy." It feels like a Greek tragedy to me, though I haven't quite figured out why yet. Only faults I can find: film--was "filmed" digitally---seems overposed (intentionally) in many places and ending probably unslatisfactory for most viewers.… Expand

What a gem. A dark gem, but a gem.

I agree with Timothy JN (above individual critic) that this movie reminds one of a greek tragedy. And it is a perfect, tragic story. The characters are doomed from the begining to the end. The main tragic figure is Andy, and his tragic flaw is drug addiction. The plot spins helplessly /,along with the tragic screams of Andy in his driving home brow beaten by a father, who is pre-destined to undo the hero. Oh Sophocles where are you when we need you!… Expand

Fascinating movie from beginning to end. A terrific character study of normal people under desperate times, being influenced by a true monster who wasn't normal to begin with.

With a spare and wrenching style, Lumet invests a melodramatic premise with the annihilating power of Greek tragedy.

This movies was soo amazing. I cannot believe that it was completely ignored by the Academy. I found this movie better than No Country For Old Men.

This was a great movie. Great drama. If you want to see flashing colors or explosions, this movie isn't for you. It is a story that unfolds in a unique way. Great acting. Great story line. Great directing.

I can't believe that more people have not seen this movie. It is probably the most intense movie that I have ever seen. Some of the best acting coupled with some of the best directing and a killer story has made a movie one should not miss for anything, but I doubt that most have even heard of it.

Good adult crime drama with great performances by all the leads.

Excellent movie. Very depressing, but really well put together.

I love this movie, one of my favorites. Hoffman and Hawke do a good job.

Excellent film!

Great movie. Hoffman is amazing.

Even the cameos (notably Michael Shannon) were outstanding.

Amazing movie all around - performances, directing, music. Best work Hawke has ever done. Best nude scenes Tomei has ever done, too ! Hoffman is, of course, riveting. The last half hour will mess you up.

What a superb film! Incredibly inpactful and thrilling. Great performances all around, with a beautiful score and amazing writing to go hand in hand with the Sidney Lumet touch. How this film was snubbed for not even a single Oscar nomination, I will never understand. Michael Shannon and Albert Finney bring such great energy and power; Hoffman and Hawke really express the confusion in the **** that takes place. The melodramatic performances rarely seem over done because the thrill is amped up to 14. This film physically punched me in the face: no ****… Expand

The film's opening scene is so well made it quite possibly will never leave my mind. This scene sets the tone for the entire film. Great performances, Great screenplay, but the style may be a bit distracting in places. At a time when thrillers are more about action before the devil knows you're dead comes across as freshly old school.