There's nothing like family, especially when the killing starts.

A robbery gone wrong kicks off the explosive events of Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, a veritable Greek tragedy of violence and family dysfunction.

Oldest brother Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a successful businessman with a beautiful wife named Gina (Marisa Tomei). Andy has a few problems in both the personal and professional areas of his life, but he keeps them quiet.

Andy's baby brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) is more obviously a loser. Hank isn't quite ready for adult life. He can't make his child-support payments, for example, and he breaks promises to his adolescent daughter. Hank is cute and useless. As it happens, he's having an affair with Andy's wife.

Andy comes up with a scheme to rob a jewelry store. He enlists Hank's help. Andy reasons that this is a victimless crime -- the brothers get money, the store owners are covered for their loss by insurance. The store owners happen to be Hank and Andy's parents, played by Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris. That's why Andy thinks the crime is so perfect. The boys know the store, know when their parents will be elsewhere, know the combination of the safe. What could go wrong?

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is a character-driven heist tale, if you can imagine such a thing. After the robbery goes south, the characters begin a downward spiral that strips away any veneer of civilized behaviour. The story reveals itself to be a dark tale of family relationships, with all manner of old resentments, disappointments and manipulations pushing to the surface.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead eventually puts itself into over-the-top melodrama, but the performances are so terrific that the suspension of disbelief is never less than willing. Hoffman and Hawke are particularly good in this bleak tale and amazing in their scenes together, and the writing is such that even Marisa Tomei has a chance to show how good she can be.

Lumet, the director, is back at the tippy top of his game.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead plays around a bit with time and perception, and the story unfolds at a tremendous clip. The movie is not without its share of black humour, but it's an exercise in violence and adrenalin. And tragedy.

Fascinating violence, adrenalin and tragedy, of course.

Just so you know.

(This film is rated 18A)
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