I came across this film - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - and it looks like it might become Sidney Lumet's most acclaimed work in a long time.

It's needless to say that with four nominations under his belt, Lumet is quite an overdue director and he is obviously quite respected in Hollywood. The cast he has assembled is pretty great too:

Philip Seymour Hoffman (1 Oscar win)
Marisa Tomei (1 win, 1 nom)
Etah Hawke (1 nom)
Albert Finney (5 noms)
Rosemary Harris (1 nom)

The plot sounds interesting:

Needing extra cash, two brothers conspire to pull off the perfect, victimless crime. No guns, no violence, no problem. But when an accomplice ignores the rules and crosses the line, his actions trigger a series of events in which no one is left unscathed.

Release Date: October 26th (limited)

The first reviews are very positive:

http://www.comingsoon.net/blog/2007/09/ ... _devil.php

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934 ... id=31&cs=1

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So what do you think?

It's being screened at TIFF today, so should hear more about it really soon. Never paid attention to it until the recent discussion on overlooked directors. The cast, plot, and very early reactions all look good, but "strong graphic sexuality, violence, drug use" will be working against it.

David Poland liked it as well, and Jeff Wells loved it.

I still am not feeling this as a real contender, though.

Philip Seymour is EVERYWHERE this Oscar season

Charlie Wilson's War
The Savages
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead
And Charlie Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine followup and directorial debut Synechdoche, New York with Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Variety gave it a positive as well.

Ethan Hawke has two Oscar nominations...although I know what you meant

But yeah I was looking at it a while ago. It's been 25 years since the director was nominated so I wonder if people TRULY remember how great he once was. But comparisons to In the Bedroom and Fargo did raise my eyebrow. I'm really looking forward to, but I'll have to see more reviews before I say anything.

Yeah, it seems to be coming out the gate pretty strong, gotta keep an eye on this film.

I kinda hope he doesn't win another one so soon, heh.

Could be a dark Horse if the reviews hold up. Subject matter doesn't help though.

Two more reviews in. One positive and one mildly negative.

88 at Metacritic and 81% at RT (but 100% COTC).

I have a slight feeling that it might pull a Match Point and end up empty-handed, except for a Screenplay nom or maybe one acting nom.

It's up to 84% at RT and its average is now 7/10.

84% at RT with a 7.3/10 average and 88% COTC with a 7.7/10 average.

MC has it at 87 with 17 reviews in. Five 100's.

This is going somewhere, I'm pretty sure about that now.

Metacritic has only 5 reviews up for me, no 100s

85% at RT with 48 reviews ion.

As I said in the Contenders thread, this is "down" to 85, but now has nine 100s, which I believe is behind only Ratatouille (Twenty!) and tied with No End in Sight for the most this year. If it holds up at the box office...watch out.

Still way too small, and if the academy is nominating one of these films, it's No Country for Old Men.

And wtf, am I the only one still getting 5 reviews total on MC for this?

Two Academy Award winners, two nominees, all directed by one of the legends of the '70s in his best film many years. That doesn't strike me as small.

I agre with Jon. At this point the movie has too much going for it to be ignored. Maybe not a BP nom, but a Director nod seems very likely.

it's being called Sidney Lumet's masterpiece, but it's doing nothing at the box office and I think the best it could hope for at this point is an Actor nom for Hoffman and a Screenplay nom [if it's Original]

I wouldn't say it's doing nothing. It's in very limited release and scored a PTA of $9,000+ this weekend.

Philip Seymour Hoffman has two other higher profile films out by year's end. I doubt he'll be receiving much recognition for this one. I think only the critics can really save this one. It's not going to get much recognition otherwise.

eh, I think Charlie Wilson's War will slightly disappoint, and even if it doesn't, Hanks and Roberts and Nichols will get the attention, not Hoffman.

which means that it's between this and "The Savages." Both have gotten great reviews...but his performance in BTDKYD looks quite a bit meatier than in "The Savages."

RT-WATCH:

88%, 7.7/10 average
92% COTC (8/10 average)

http://64.14.20.205/m/before_the_devil_ ... oure_dead/

With 69 reviews in. I still think that this is going places. No BP nom probably (but it MIGHT pull a Secret and Lies), but possibly a screenplay, a directing and a couple of acting noms.

If there's a lone director nom, I'd say this is the best bet.

Next closest would probably be Cronenberg.... then maybe Coppola

So I just went to a late showing of this.

I'm not sure yet how much I liked it. I definitely liked it but time will tell if it grows on me. The performances were REALLY great. Hawke and Hoffman and Finney (i LOVE this guy) were all stellar. Marisa Tomei wasn't bad either for not doing much.

No chance this is getting a Best Pic nomination. Too small. Studio doesn't have enough clout. Subject matter not very academy/oscar-fodder and a little too dark and twisted.

What I found eerie about the film was (for those who have or will see it) Hawke resembled my younger brother a bit in this movie and our parents run a mom and pop jewelery store