Devil reveals dark drama

Until about a week ago, I had never seen any of Sidney Lumet's films. After reading that statement, most film buffs have probably completely disregarded all of my opinions about film in the past and will continue disregarding from here on out. But I promise I'm trying to atone for my irrefutable lapse in judgment.

Sidney Lumet is responsible for some enormous titles from the past, including 12 Angry Men, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network. The movie I happened to see last week was Dog Day Afternoon, and that movie happens to deserve all the praise it receives.

Well it just so happens that Mr. Lumet recently completed another film called Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, and after seeing it along with Dog Day Afternoon, I am completely onboard with why people appreciate Sidney Lumet.

Brothers Andy (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke) are hard workers, but due to circumstances in their personal lives, both are becoming desperate for money. The plan to get out of trouble is simple; Andy convinces Hank to join him in a scheme to rob a small suburban jewelry store owned by an old couple. But then everything goes wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

But that doesn't sound very unique, does it? Then why am I singing Lumet's praises? It is difficult to talk about the plot of Devil without giving too much away or detracting from the suspense. As you can see, the basic plot of "jewelry/bank heist gone wrong" has been done a million times, but it's the surrounding events and family relationships that set Devil apart from the rest.

The story was written by first-time screenwriter Kelly Masterson. The fact that this is her first screenplay is almost shocking considering how intricate and detailed everything is. Also, now that we've reached Oscar season, I definitely would not count her out for a Best Original Screenplay nomination.

The story is not only good in the plot itself, but also in the way it is told. This is largely attributable to both Masterson's story as well as Lumet's directing. The plot is not chronological in its telling of events, but instead takes a nonlinear path to create maximum suspense. Lumet pieces the parts together using transitions that initially feel jarring and out of place, but grow to become important and unique to the movie.

Lumet does a great job at keeping the story in its own tight, little world. The focus stays only on the characters that are pivotal to the progression of the plot. This limitation on characters creates a sense of claustrophobia and urgency, causing tension to escalate throughout the film.

As far as the acting goes, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke are excellent in the two main roles. Both actors have to emotionally run the gamut for their parts, and they end up demonstrating how versatile they really are. Other notable performances are Albert Finney as the vigilante father of Andy and Hank, and Marisa Tomei as Andy's wife, Gina.

It looks like Lumet has another winner on his hands. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead isn't one of the biggest movies of the year, and it's not meant to be. It is, however, probably one of the best.