Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

First off, a few disclaimers: I'm a sucker for movies that are non-linear. I'm also a sucker for movies about human weakness. Allright, any sort of exploration of human weakness, be it books, movies....

This movie hits both points. Its non-linearity keeps the movie interesting and moving. And the core of the movie is the exploration of the weaknesses of two brothers who try to rob their parents jewelry store for cash, convincing themselves its a victimless crime.

I'm not one to harp on movie performances as I can rarely tell if anyone is giving an extraordinary performance but it seemed obvious to me that Ethan Hawke really inhabited the character he played and Philip Seymour Hoffman was fucking good (but he's always fucking good. He's kind of like the anti-Keanu Reeves. They always seem to play the same sort of role but on opposite sides of the character spectrum)

I was riveted by the sheer stupidity of the brother in committing the crime and the hubris of the brother who thought up the crime without thinking about it. And as the mistakes pile one on top of another and their lives unravel, the movie just grabbed me (though i had to stop in the middle as my sister was visiting and she was sleeping in the living room where the tv was and she was completely not into it and falling asleep. But that's neither here nor there)