Deadly Decision - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Movie
German title	Deadly Decision - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Original title	Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	2007
length	approx. 117 minutes
Age rating	FSK 16
Rod
Director	Sidney Lumet
script	Kelly Masterson
production	Michael Cerenzie , ; William S. Gilmore , ; Brian Linse , ; Paul Parmar
music	Carter Burwell
camera	Ron Fortunato
cut	Tom Swartwout
occupation
	Philip Seymour Hoffman : Andy Hanson; Ethan Hawke : Hank Hanson; Albert Finney : Charles Hanson; Marisa Tomei : Gina Hanson; Rosemary Harris : Nanette Hanson; Aleksa Palladino : Chris Lasorda; Michael Shannon : Dex; Brían F. O'Byrne : Bobby Lasorda; Amy Ryan : Martha Hanson; Paul Butler : Detective Barrett; Meredith Patterson : Andy's secretary; Blaine Horton : Justin; Leonardo Cimino : William;

Knows You're Dead - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is an American thriller from the year 2007 . It is the last film by Sidney Lumet . Kelly Masterson wrote the script .

action

The film centers on the brothers Andy and Hank Hanson, who organize a robbery on their parents' jewelry store, which has serious consequences for the entire family. The two brothers need money. The younger of the two, Hank, is in arrears with his ex-wife and daughter's maintenance . The professionally more successful Andy is addicted to heroin and has embezzled money from his employer to finance his addiction. He developed the idea of robbing her parents' shop, stealing money and jewelry there and selling the latter to a fence he knew. Since the parents are insured, no one would be harmed. After some back and forth, Andy is able to convince his brother of the plan, especially since they both know the store and the security measures there well. On the grounds that he is too well known in the mall because of his company's business, Andy urges Hank to carry out the robbery alone using a real-looking toy gun. However, since Hank does not trust himself to the robbery alone, he hires the petty criminal Bobby without Andy's knowledge. Contrary to the original plan, he in turn brings a real weapon with him and carries out the actual robbery on his own while Hank waits with the escape vehicle. Contrary to what was planned, Bobby doesn’t meet an employee in the store, but Andy's and Hank’s mother Nanette Hanson. She grabs a pistol deposited in the counter area and an exchange of fire ensues. Bobby is fatally hit and Nanette is seriously injured. Since the doctors rule out a recovery, her husband Charles finally lets the life support measures stop with a heavy heart.

The two brothers not only lose their mother, but now face other problems: the brother-in-law of the shot Bobby blackmailed Hank and demands $ 10,000 to care for his widowed sister, while Andy's company is undergoing a tax audit. Gina, Andy's wife, is leaving her husband. As she leaves, she reveals to Andy that she is having a relationship with his brother. Disappointed by the work of the police, the broken father of the brothers starts an independent investigation. He happened to know the same fence from his previous career that Andy was with before, and learned from him that Andy had promised him lucrative goods. When the fence even presents him with his son's business card , the father realizes that his son is responsible for Nanette's death and he begins to shadow Andy.

Andy and Hank break into Andy's drug dealer 's apartment, where they steal a large amount of money. Andy shoots both the dealer and a randomly present customer. With the booty, Andy and Hank go to Bobby's brother-in-law's apartment, ostensibly to give him the $ 10,000. But Andy shoots him and also wants to kill his sister who is present. But Hank opposes it and a confrontation ensues between the two brothers, which escalates to the point where Andy threatens his brother with a gun because he knows about his relationship with his wife. Just before he shoots, the sister can grab the gun of her slain brother and shoot Andy. Hank flees while Andy is hospitalized, watched by the father who followed them. He finally visits Andy in the hospital. Andy now confesses the attack to his father and describes the death of Nanette as an accident. Then he falls asleep. Thereupon Charles connects himself to the monitoring devices so as not to attract the attention of the medical staff, while he suffocates his weakened son with a pillow without noticeably increased pulse values. The further fate of Hanks, who escaped with part of the money, remains uncertain.

Reviews

Lisa Nesselson writes in Variety magazine on September 10, 2007 that the film is a melodrama peppered with "tangible, real tension". She praises the "perfectly designed" film sets .

Frank Scheck writes in The Hollywood Reporter on September 7, 2007, that the film is a “bombastic” return to the director's old form after a series of missteps and shows his numerous strengths. The "masterful" script transforms the relatively simple story of a failed robbery into a complex work. The film is just as much a character study as a crime novel and thriller. Scheck particularly praises the "perfectly working" actors who even acted expertly in supporting roles.

"If the moviegoer keeps the interesting narrative structure and sometimes very interwoven story in focus, he can prepare himself for an abysmal, exciting and at the same time shocking family drama ..."

- Kulthit.de

“Three years ago the director received an honorary Oscar for his life's work as compensation for all the times he has been passed over. Now he, who no longer has to prove his skills, has made another masterpiece at the age of 84. "

- Filmbulletin - cinema at eye level

backgrounds

Director Sidney Lumet (including "The Twelve Jurors", "Dog Days", "Serpico") traces in the crime drama, which is sometimes told in flashbacks, how an American family that seems to work at first sight dramatically breaks up in itself.

The film was shot in and around New York City . Its world premiere took place on September 6, 2007 at the Deauville Festival of American Cinema , which was followed on September 13, 2007 by the Toronto International Film Festival 2007 and later several other film festivals. On October 26, 2007, it was shown in selected cinemas in the United States, where it grossed around 2.2 million US dollars by November 18, 2007 .

The English original title Before the Devil Knows You're Dead comes from the Irish toast “ May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. ”

The film was released in German cinemas on April 10, 2008 under the title “Deadly Decision”.

Awards

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead was nominated three times at the Satellite Awards 2007 : Best Drama, Director and Screenplay. At the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards , supporting actress Marisa Tomei and again Kelly Masterson's film script received nominations.