I wasn’t expecting this film to be as serious as it was. A story about two brothers who have both gotten themselves into financial trouble and decide to rob their own parent’s jewelry store, to me, screams dark comedy. Which it is, to an extent. There are definitely some pretty hilarious moments. However, I’d say that’s only 40% of the film. The other 60% is tragic family drama. Things inevitably go wrong during the robbery, and how the two very different brothers attempt to rectify the situation just leads to more problems that involve their father, sister, and the older brother’s wife. Add that to heroin use, drug money, and low lives out for revenge and you get one giant mess with no way out.

Both the casting and acting are stupendous. I wouldn’t have thought that rugged, attractive Ethan Hawke and doughy Philip Seymour Hoffman would be compatible as brothers, but their character’s personalities are so vastly different, and the characters are played so wonderfully, that the odd pairing works. They even begin to look more and more like brothers as the film progresses. The roles of Gina (Marisa Tomei) and Charles (Albert Finney) are also wonderfully and subtly executed.

It’s not a particularly happy film, but it does say a lot about upper-middle class American family life – mostly about the desperation and ineffectuality of those living it. A bit of an unsung gem, and definitely overlooked at this year’s major film award ceremonies, Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead is one of those films that you can watch over and over and understand something new about it every time.

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