Monday, March 23, 2009

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Lumet is relentless, both in his career and his direction. This is two hours of, "Why did I do this?!?!? Not the characters, ME." There's poetry buried deep in the dialogue by first timer Kelly Masterson. That guy who cheated on Uma does a great job, and looks like a first class hapless dope through most of the film. Philip Seymour (did-you-know-I'm-in-every-movie?)Hoffman's pink carcass in the beginning acts as an allegory for his overall persona - florid and heaving, not sanguine, yet remaining in the act, yet remaining as relentlessly as Lumet;'s presence until the end..

1 comment:

Samuel Wilson said...

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is the coolest movie by an old guy since Fukasaku's Battle Royale. Maybe Lumet should direct an American version of that if anyone would dare produce it.