No. 9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) 30 of 100

 

I’d seen this excellent film before but I couldn’t recall Shannon’s part. Having rewatched it, that’s not surprising as he only gets two scenes and is overshadowed by some big names and stand out performances. That said, he holds his own and offers a good bit of scumbag menace for your time.

The film grabs you from the start with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei going at it hammer and tongs in a sweaty sex scene. Tomei gives a brave performance and sadly Hoffman does too! The pair are married and despite their drug fuelled sexploits all is not well in the relationship. We quickly learn that Tomei is also shagging Hoffman’s brother Ethan Hawke, who has fallen for the soon to be Aunt May.

The brothers are low level crooks with Hoffman running scams from his real estate job and Hawke failing to make maintenance payments to his estranged wife, Holly Flax from ‘The Office’

Hoffman comes up with a grand scheme to alleviate their money worries, namely to rob a ‘Mom & Pop’ jewellery store in the local strip mall. The downside is that the store is run by their own Mom and Pop, but not to worry Mom has Saturday mornings off and insurance will cover the loss. Doesn't anyone consider the poor insurance adjuster who probably already has load of work to do?!

Hoffman thinks he’s too well known in the mall to take part in the robbery and soppy brother Hawke thinks he should get an accomplice. Huge mistake! The hired gun bungles the robbery and shoots Mom who was covering for her absent weekend employee. She gives as good as she gets and shots the robber with Hawke fleeing the scene empty handed.

At first the siblings think they have gotten away with it, but their world slowly starts to crumble as tenacious Dad Albert Finney starts to unravel his sons’ involvement in the heist. The dead robber’s sister also puts the squeeze on Hawke with her own brother demanding $10k in hush money. This lowlife is depicted by Shannon who gives a masterclass in intense, quiet but threatening behaviour. As the brothers' worlds collapse on all fronts it up in the air as to who will get away in a blood soaked final act.

This is a great film that was director Sidney Lumet’s last. It is chock full of great actors and has a marvellous air of tension throughout. I liked the score which was never optimistic and the grubby sets that conveyed the squalor of the whole enterprise.

Shannon only gets two scenes but he does make an impression in what is essentially a cameo. He doesn’t fair well in the final reckoning and for all his menace he doesn’t land a blow or fire a shot. I could see him having passed on such a small role but no doubt the appeal of working with Lumet was strong.

People will tell you that this film is best watched for Marisa Tomei’s revealing performance and although that is indeed excellent, the film as a whole grabs your attention from the start and doesn’t let up.

When is Shannon-On? - 1.06.15

Outcome? Dead on the floor – shot in the back

Film 5/5

Shannon Stars 2/5