WARNING: Rated MA. There is no foul language but strong sexual underpinnings.
Before The Devil Knows Your Dead (heretofore referenced as BTD) is a little known crime drama that is every bit as good as the Oscar winning Capote (Best Actor, PSH, 2006) but hasn’t received near the accolades. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays the leading roll of Andy Hanson, a near-midlife crises real-estate accountant who is struggling to maintain the comfortable upper-middle class lifestyle he has created for himself and his wife Gina.
Juxtaposed to the old-Irish saying behind the title “May you be in heaven half an hour before the Devil knows your dead,” is every plot element in this film. It’s a suspense-filled seat gripper folks. From the opening moments of sexual exhilaration to the sickening climax of this picture, my stomach was knotted and eyes glued.
One of the intricacies that I felt made Capote such a special project was that as an audience member the actors were able to draw you in to their characters lives and make you care about them, despite all of their fatal flaws. Andy for the most part leads a normal life, works a good job and has the doubts and fears of every man. Yet, in instances where you and I have a conscious to preclude any ill-tainted thoughts from becoming reality, Andy’s desperation outweighs all righteous judgment. What makes for great film is that Andy didn’t just put the last straw on the camel; he slammed down a lead pipe on that dromedary.
Marisa Tomei, a much underrated Hollywood talent, plays PSH’s wife Gina. For a woman of 43 and unlike PSH, she has kept herself in shape and it shows. But who knows with modern medicine. Her beauty could be as timeless as Joan Rivers. Rounding out (whom I am going to call the big four) are Ethan Hawke as Andy’s down-and-out brother Hank and Albert Finney as the stoic Hanson patriarch.
In my opinion, PSH deserved to get another best actor nod for this film but unfortunately I forgot to pay my annual dues to the academy this year. My bad. But, if you do watch this movie, there is a scene that takes place with Marisa in a parked car at the side of the road that will make you sit back in your chair and let out an audible, “wow,” in appreciation of his talent.
Everyone has a list of their five favorite actors and actresses in Hollywood as well as a list of 5 or so famous persons that it’s “ok” to have a fantasy one-night-stand with when you’re already in a relationship. The later really only exists because both of the involved parties know it’s never going to happen, much like fantasizing over what you’re going to do with the $150 million you won playing Powerball. Topping both of my lists is Philip Seymour Hoffman. There is nothing I find sexier than a slightly overweight Irish Catholic man that isn’t afraid to bare it all. That’s probably the reason I have a bit of a man crush on Elijah, but I digress. PSH along with Johnny Depp sit atop my list of favorite actors but the only crush I have is on their range as actors. The whole Elijah thing is not true either, sorry to disappoint big guy. If you haven’t seen much of PSH’s work, I suggest you go to Blockbuster, sit down for a weekend marathon with a few bags for microwave popcorn and let your eyes do the walking.
Hank is somewhat of a departure from the Boy Scout cop roles that Hawke has been taking as of late but if you’ve seen the cult sci-fi flick Gattaca, you know he does have some range. Like Andy, both brothers are in dire straights financially and the women in their lives are really pressing the pennies. Yet, Hank doesn’t know how to act on his feet and where Andy is strong, Hank is weak and at his brother’s coat tails until the bitter end.
TMZ timeout: Whoever leaves Uma Thurman for a very average looking nanny has some serious character flaws of their own.
Tomei and Finney give strong supporting roles, something both have become known for. Even though each character was intense and created the potential for one to dominate over the others in a given scene, I thought the entire cast really gelled nicely together and as whole found a nice balance. My hat’s off to the casting agency.
Not to be left out of this collection of creative contributors, Sidney Lumet provides BTD’s direction. While Mr. Lumet isn’t a household name, he has been around since the Golden Age of Hollywood and has directed such notable films as 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon. One of the finer elements of BTD is that Lumet makes great use of sequencing. Every major event that takes place is relived through the eyes of those that are affected and, in my opinion, is the enabling factor behind the audience’s ability to connect with each individual character.
A few weeks after watching the movie, I stumbled upon an episode of Inside the Actor’s Studio discussing BTD with Lumet, PSH and Hawke. It was really interesting to get each actor’s off-screen perspective on their onscreen performance. All three raved about working with each other but they gave a lot of praise to Finney, who I have never seen as a major contributor in Hollywood but he has always been there delivery good, if not great performances. You may remember him as the memorable lawyer Ed Masry in Erin Brockovich. As a closet thespian, I always enjoy hearing actors talking about acting.
Side note: I actually watched this movie a few months ago but with its lack of notoriety during the awards season has prompted me to dust off the keyboard.
There are still a few theaters that are carrying this movie, most notably the McMennamin’s Mission Theater on NW Glisan and 16th, but it is definitely worth a rental. If the kids are around, make sure they close their eyes for the opening scene. Especially if you are in Elijah’s house, you don’t want the kids thinking dad is on TV making love to another woman.
Jake
Editor's note: First, the opinions of individual reviewers on the choice of personal consort that a person may be with or not be with are purely that reviewers opinion and may not reflect the board of directors of Skip the Concessions. We do however respect the right of free speech on this page. Second, the editor also respects the rights of reviewers to have a "man-crush". But it will henceforthe be ignored and noted that I have slightly more hair than Mr Hoffman, but only slightly; and I squint less.
Elijah
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