...it gave me the feeling to strap on my seatbelt and keep my arms and legs securely inside the vehicle at all times.
Video:
"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is presented on Blu-ray with a very pristine 1.85:1 aspect ratio using the AVC/MPEG-4 codec. Lumet is one of only a handful of Hollywood directors that has willfully accepted and moved forward into the digital age of cinematography, and therefore shot the entire film from start to finish using high-definition cameras. I could make out lint clinging to suits, pores and blemishes in skin tones, and even see the beads of sweat pooling on Hoffman's forehead. Sometimes the coloring saturation appeared washed out in certain scenes while the brightness in others was cranked up a few notches, but that's more of a stylistic choice from the director.
Audio:
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack was also quite impressive. The balancing of the score with the dialogue was done properly, so I didn't find myself reaching for the remote to monkey with the volume at all during the movie. The sonance of ocean waves in surround sound acoustically created the illusion of being a fly on the bedroom wall of the beach condo in Rio during the opening sequence and really helped set the mood for the film. Also available is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track that I briefly tested out for a few scene selections, which was a couple of steps down from the DTS-HD MA but still sounded fantastic. Rounding out the audio options are optional English and Spanish subtitles.
Extras:
There are only three bonus features on the Blu-ray release of "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," all of which are also included on the standard DVD.
First up is "How the Devil Was Made," a making-of featurette running approximately 25 minutes. The documentary discusses how Kelly Masterson's script fell into Lumet's lap, and how the director made a few changes such as making Andy and Hank siblings instead of friends for a leaner and more dramatic story. It briefly touches on the cast all having strong theater backgrounds, but mainly focuses on the actual directing aspect of the film. After watching this piece I felt like I had actually learned some things about filmmaking and it was well worth checking out.
There's also a full feature-length "Audio Commentary with director Sidney Lumet and actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke." It's pretty much a standard commentary, although I did find it fascinating and it was over before I knew it. I also laughed when Lumet patted Hawke on the back for his driving skills, comparing him to Al Pacino who made everyone run for the hills when he got behind a steering wheel.
The final addition is the "Theatrical Trailer" for the film. The actors and actresses are labeled for their Academy Award wins and nominations and the basic plot is revealed to hook the viewer, but it just looks rough to me and it really doesn't do the movie any justice.
The Final Cut:
The words "gripping" and "explosive" seem to be handed out like candies on Halloween when it comes to movie reviews, but "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a diamond in the rough truly deserving of those descriptive labels. I could go on all day about the amazing cast and superb cinematography, but the dark horse was the script that sealed the deal for me. It has just the right balance of suspense and drama, and the story never strays into the land of obvious make-believe. Lumet even sums it up perfectly during one scene on the commentary when he jokes, "that's the only fake moment, you never see a cop running."
"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is presented on Blu-ray with a very pristine 1.85:1 aspect ratio using the AVC/MPEG-4 codec. Lumet is one of only a handful of Hollywood directors that has willfully accepted and moved forward into the digital age of cinematography, and therefore shot the entire film from start to finish using high-definition cameras. I could make out lint clinging to suits, pores and blemishes in skin tones, and even see the beads of sweat pooling on Hoffman's forehead. Sometimes the coloring saturation appeared washed out in certain scenes while the brightness in others was cranked up a few notches, but that's more of a stylistic choice from the director.
Audio:
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack was also quite impressive. The balancing of the score with the dialogue was done properly, so I didn't find myself reaching for the remote to monkey with the volume at all during the movie. The sonance of ocean waves in surround sound acoustically created the illusion of being a fly on the bedroom wall of the beach condo in Rio during the opening sequence and really helped set the mood for the film. Also available is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track that I briefly tested out for a few scene selections, which was a couple of steps down from the DTS-HD MA but still sounded fantastic. Rounding out the audio options are optional English and Spanish subtitles.
Extras:
There are only three bonus features on the Blu-ray release of "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," all of which are also included on the standard DVD.
First up is "How the Devil Was Made," a making-of featurette running approximately 25 minutes. The documentary discusses how Kelly Masterson's script fell into Lumet's lap, and how the director made a few changes such as making Andy and Hank siblings instead of friends for a leaner and more dramatic story. It briefly touches on the cast all having strong theater backgrounds, but mainly focuses on the actual directing aspect of the film. After watching this piece I felt like I had actually learned some things about filmmaking and it was well worth checking out.
There's also a full feature-length "Audio Commentary with director Sidney Lumet and actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke." It's pretty much a standard commentary, although I did find it fascinating and it was over before I knew it. I also laughed when Lumet patted Hawke on the back for his driving skills, comparing him to Al Pacino who made everyone run for the hills when he got behind a steering wheel.
The final addition is the "Theatrical Trailer" for the film. The actors and actresses are labeled for their Academy Award wins and nominations and the basic plot is revealed to hook the viewer, but it just looks rough to me and it really doesn't do the movie any justice.
The Final Cut:
The words "gripping" and "explosive" seem to be handed out like candies on Halloween when it comes to movie reviews, but "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is a diamond in the rough truly deserving of those descriptive labels. I could go on all day about the amazing cast and superb cinematography, but the dark horse was the script that sealed the deal for me. It has just the right balance of suspense and drama, and the story never strays into the land of obvious make-believe. Lumet even sums it up perfectly during one scene on the commentary when he jokes, "that's the only fake moment, you never see a cop running."
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