Film: Marisa Tomei is lovely

Before the Devil knows you're Dead
Director: Sidney Lumet

Summary: The trailer is recommended.

Wha'll we do tonight?

Bored with reruns, Mrs. Muddle and I decided to take in a movie.

The plot to Before the Devil Knows You're Dead sounded ``right up our genre'', and to top things off, we both love Marisa Tomei. (Photo Credit: Dessie1200.)

The film was only showing in one theater locally. (Do you think that was a hint?)

The theater was all the way up in Redwood City. Mrs. Muddle said she would drive. (I don't; drive that is, not much anyway.)

We arrived early. I ate a hotdog in the theater lobby. (Mrs. Muddle had noshed before we left.)

We found excellent seats, even though the film was being shown in a small and old theater.

A couple walked in shortly after Mrs. Muddle and I had seated ourselves.

No sooner did they appear, then the woman stated with some alarm, ``Good Lord! This theater is no larger than a home theater!''

I queried Mrs. Muddle, ``Do you think they really have a home theater this large?''

I had done the math. With handicapped seating, the theater sat 244. (Give or take any errors due to my lousy arithmetic.)

She replied that Steven Spielberg probably had a pretty large showing room.

I said, ``Yes, but we certainly do not! I am talking about average people.''

Mrs. Muddle, ``I imagine many people in the Valley have large home theaters.''

Mr. Muddle retorted, ``Are you saying some people are more average than others?''

Review

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead rated high in every category except Entertainment Value.

As I had hoped, I saw a great deal of Marisa Tomei.

Unfortunately, she was barely in the movie.

Marisa Tomei is lovely.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, on the other hand, got what he deserved.

There's a scene where the Tomei character says either, ``I can help'' or ``Let me help''.

The Hoffman character then looks dumbfounded. Finally, he says, ``I don't need any help.''

A few minutes later the Tomei character asks for money, and leaves.

That scene about sums up the movie for me. Tomei could have helped this movie, but apparently no one asked for her help, no one allowed her to help.

This movie is a ship looking for an iceberg.

(Here is a nice Marisa Tomei fan website.)

The Trailer:

 

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead - Trailer

Posted Sep 25, 2007

Two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store. The job goes horribly wrong, triggering off a series of events that send them and their family hurtling towards a shattering climax.

``Keep those cards and letters comin', folks
   (Dean Martin)''.
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