Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

"Nobody was supposed to get hurt."

Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is not only embezzling from his employer, he's spending the money on drugs and trying to present an image of success to his wife, Gine (Marisa Tomei). His younger brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) is also in trouble; he's pretty much a slacker, unable to pay his child support, chronically disappointing his young daughter with his inability to provide for her, and he's having an affair with Gina.

Together the brothers plan to at least deal with their financial woes. With Andy as the "idea man" and ability to fence stolen goods and Hank supposedly capable of committing a robbery, they explore the details of robbing a Mom-and-Pop jewelry store in a strip center in an upscale suburb of NYC. But Hank knows he can't really carry it off so he hires a friend, Bobby Lasorda (Brian F. O'Byrne) to do the actual robbery while Hank waits in the getaway car.

Despite Hank's concern, Andy decides the heist would be best done in a place the brothers know well -- the jewelry store owned by their parents Nanette and Charles (Rosemay Harris, Albert Finney). Unfortunately, their accomplice Bobby fails to follow the established rules when he takes a real gun into the jewelry store.

And something goes terribly wrong.

Legendary director Sidney Lumet spins the suspense in an ever-changing series of flashbacks from the viewpoints of the main characters to add layers and layers of the family's history of dysfunction.

When Bobby's widow Chris (Aleksa Palladino), through her brother Jake (Lee Wilkof), demands hush money from Hank, the story escalates even further.

Amy Ryan has a small role as Martha Hanson who has never seemed to have much use for her two brothers.

Rated R for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language.

My personal rating: B