Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

IMDb plot summary: When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife hurtling towards a shattering climax.

Directed by Sidney Lumet. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, and Marisa Tomei.

I like that this is almost a half-and-half family drama/crime movie. The tension of the crime only works with the familial relationships underpinning the whole situation. Both primary actors, as well as Albert Finney as their father, are superb in their roles. They really highlight the humanity of fear and loss in a way that I often feel gets overlooked in crime films. I also enjoy how the film plays with time and perspective, moving back and forth in time to highlight one person's experience of this event, and frequently revealing something in each section that forces us to look at the previous entries in a new light. It's a superbly paced film in terms of unraveling the mystery bit by bit, and thoroughly engaging all the way through.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead > To Be or Not To Be (1947)

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead < Hoop Dreams

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead > Ramona and Beezus

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead > Full Metal Jacket

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead < The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead > Undercover Blues

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead > A Christmas Carol (1951)

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead > Logan's Run

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead < Children of Men

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead < RoboCop

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead > The Hudsucker Proxy

Final spot: #937 out of 3298, or 72%.