not for kids
Mature heist film full of violence, explicit sex.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this intense, mature heist film about two adult brothers who conspire to rob their parents -- no one is supposed to get hurt, but things go very awry -- definitely isn't for kids. It's full of loud, bloody, harrowing violence (including a robber exchanging gunfire with an elderly woman) and some pretty explicit sex scenes (thrusting, panting, naked bottoms, visible breasts/nipples). Several scenes show drinking and explicit drug use (cocaine, marijuana, heroin), and there's adultery, cigarette smoking, and plenty of strong language ("f--k," "s--t," and more).
- Families can talk about the characters' bad/strained family relationships. Why do the brothers resent their father? How do they act out with each other? What role does Gina fulfill for both of the brothers? Do you think relationships like these are realistic? Is it more "entertaining" to see a movie about dysfunctional characters or functional ones? Why?
The good stuff
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Messages: Characters include thieves, addicts, bullies, and cheaters. Both brothers are insecure, competitive, and violent; their father is distant and cruel; wives are vindictive and resentful. A character's presumed homosexuality is equated with deviance.
What to watch for
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Violence: Brutal violence during the central robbery, when a masked thief and the elderly jewelry store owner face off, shooting each other repeatedly (lots of blood, crawling on the ground). Justin, an upscale drug dealer, regularly answers the door with his gun in hand. After she's shot, an old woman appears in a hospital room with tubes and monitors; ultimately, a decision must be made about keeping her on life support. A widower crashes his car into a police cruiser in despair. Father slaps son. Lots of shooting and fighting near the end (panicky gunfire, yelling, blood on walls and bodies).
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Sex: Repeated sex scenes showing naked breasts, buttocks, and sexual activity. First scene takes place in a mirrored hotel room and shows explicit sex from various angles. Other scenes show an adulterous couple (a man with his brother's wife) and reveal her breasts and his bottom. A couple of scenes show tongue-kissing. Andy undresses (not explicit).
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Language: Language includes frequent uses of "f--k" and "s--t" (a couple with "bull"), and far fewer instances of "ass" (one with "hole"), "hell," "goddamn," and derisive slang ("faggoty" and "prick").
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Consumerism: Brief visual or verbal references to Dell laptop, Tiffany's jewelry.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Several scenes take place in bars, where characters drink beer and liquor. Frequent cigarette smoking. Some marijuana smoking and cocaine snorting. In a business/potentially kinky sex arrangement, Andy pays a young man to inject him with heroin a couple of times (needles, powder, and spoon visible). Hank appears drunk.
Fan Reviews provided by
3
bleak movie by normheath
This movie isn't for the faint-of-heart. One of us hated it. There was no-one to identify with - all the characters were basically nasty and unpleasant. The film wasn't entertainment, just torture.
The other half of us was grippped by the suspense and thought the acting was amazing. The plot unfolded like a Greek tragedy. Overweening hubris, one thing goes wrong and the characters fall deeper into an ever-wideneing morass.
The events seemed to follow inevitably - but this is not something I'd go to see if I wanted to be inspired or uplifted.
A very nasty morality tale.
5
Definitely a Different Type of Movie Going Exprience....... by Legio XIII Germina
This movie was extremely well directed, and the acting in this movie was also very well done too. This is a extremely interesting DRAMA/SUSPENSE type of movie, there is a lot of curves and "what the hell just happeneds", in this movie, which means you have to pay attention to the plot as it unfolds before your eyes!
5
Riveting,spellbinding,a tour de force by butteredkorn
The perfomances were outstanding.The movie is edited like a Novel,where each day of a different character in the movie is recapped with the focus point being on a fewdays before or a few days after the day of the heist. This gives the characters and the movie a more fractured or splinttered feel which bodes well with what Lumet is trying to do.
I loved this movie,it is the best movie i have seen this year,and probably the best Sydney Lumet movie i have ever seen. Come oscar time i look for it to be in the Director,Movie of the year catogories and Hoffman and Hawke garnish nominations.
5
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead by flic_chick
4 starsÂ…Absolutely mesmerizing! A "what can go wrong, will go wrong" tragedy.
Great acting, actors, and suspenseful story. One of the best movies I've seen this year. If you liked "A Simple Plan", you'll love this.
5
Great film not for everyone by odietaffystella
If you must see a feel good film, if you like typical Hollywood films, if you like a hero then dont see this film. If you want to see a great film about the dark side of life with fantastic acting this is for you. Great script and very reminiscent of French film noir. I personally really really like it. This film was made by a director that was interested in the genre with no care for what the Hollywood public might want to see, BRAVO!!!! We need more fiilms like this.
5
Great ensemble, riveting movie by jmeltzer
This was just a fabulous movie. It stayed with us for days afterward. The acting was superb, the editing was perfect and the direction for Sidney Lumet was great. The story line, which I won't give away, is original and upsetting. The characters, and their motivations, become more complex as the movie goes on. It's a must see.
3
For Acting Students and Cinema Buffs Only by tedoff
The acting performances were simply outstanding. If you want to see good writing, and actors that are at the top of their game bringing this story to life then by all means, see it this movie. That being said, as an overall movie experience, the story, directing, and overall production left me unable to take an emotional interest in any of the characters. The only one who might have been regarded as sympathetic, the father played by Finney, was not developed enough to understand the totality of his actions and the influence he had on the other characters. Otherwise the desparation and the complete lack of mirth felt too heavy, too humorless (and therefore unreal, since even the most desparate situations are often the source of humor) to have me feel it worthwhile to make an investment in the outcome of this story.
4
Surprisingly solid by Roger511
At this point, the movies been out for ages. I rented it on a whim at Blockbuster, due to the solid cast of names on the DVD box. I wasn't disappointed.
Not a family friendly movie by any stretch...the movies open involves Philip Seymour Hoffman gettin his hump on with Marisa Tomei...and she is topless for a good portion of the movie for some reason, which I must say I did not find disappointing :)
The movie was a tale of a plot gone awry, lots of twists and turns, and I guess you'd call it time-gapping...keeps going back and forth to pick up where it left off. A bit of a depressing film, as it shows that the capability for humans to plumb the lowest of the lows morality wise is pretty unlimited. Definitely worth renting.
1
One of the worst of the year by cjtolmie
This movie was awful. I was shocked at how much I didn?t like it. Good actors with an awful script. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, was so thoroughly unlikable it was hard to care what happened to him, infact you almost want to see him suffer. Ethan Hawke was so pathetic and such a cry baby I couldn?t stand him either. Even Marisa Tomei was clunky and unlikeable. All the likeable folk die. Depressing, and difficult to watch due to the horrible script and horrible characters. This was well below the actors who performed in this film. Only watch this if you are a machocist.