Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is a 2007
Psychological Thriller directed by
Sidney Lumet in his last film, starring
Philip Seymour Hoffman,
Ethan Hawke,
Marisa Tomei,
Albert Finney,
Rosemary Harris and
Amy Ryan, scored by
Carter Burwell.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead provides examples of the following tropes:
- A Simple Plan: Robbing your parent's store, attended by a harmless elderly woman. A victimless crime because insurance will fully compensate their parents for the stolen items.
- Downer Ending: Andy and Hank's mother is dead, Andy murders three people, Charles smothers Andy to death with a pillow, and everybody who's still alive is facing a bleak, meaningless existence for the rest of their lives. Further, it's pointed out in the commentary that Hank has the money, but will probably blow it all on drink.
- Fake American: Brit Albert Finney plays Hank and Andy's father.
- Idiosyncratic Wipes
- IKEA Erotica: The opening sex scene is played with such passionless blandness that it's almost painful. Arguably a case of Tropes Are Not Bad, though, as it's utilized to offer a window into Andy's psyche rather than simply being boring.
- Plethora Of Mistakes
- R-Rated Opening: The opening shot is a sex scene between Marisa Tomei and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
- Shout Out: "Did you touch anything?" "I don't think so." "You don't THINK SO?" very closely echoes a similar conversation in Lumet's Family Business.
- Siblings in Crime: Hank and Andy scheme the robbery together, but not the actual execution as Andy fears he might be recognized.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: It's about as far from idealism as you can get and still be considered realist.
- Tragedy: The happiest it ever gets is when Hank and Andy first hatch the scheme to rob their parents' jewelry store.
- Stealing From The Till: Andy sets everything in motion because he faces an upcoming audit that will reveal his having embezzled from his employer.
- A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Man, if Hank had only stuck to the plan...
- He'd have been shot by his own mother.
- Tragic Mistake: In the overall scheme of things, the robbery, and within that, brigning in Bobby Lasorda to do the actual robbery.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Andy and Gina. Strangely, she's the insecure one in need of his assurance that he loves her. And with good reason, as he's so pre-occupied with his problems that he's completely oblivious to how unhappy she is—and that she's having an affair with his brother.
- Villain Protagonist: Andy.
- Your Cheating Heart: Gina cheats on Andy with Hank.
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