Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke star as brothers Andy and Hank Hanson. Each is desperately in need of money, and Andy comes up with a can't-miss scheme to rob a jewelry store. Things go horribly wrong -- what, you were expecting a perfect heist and they all live happily ever after? -- and the brothers find their lives and their family crumbling around them.
After a brief introductory scene, the movie begins on the day of the robbery. It's clear that things haven't gone well, but we don't yet realize just how badly things have gone, or what a horrible idea this particular robbery was. That knowledge only comes as Lumet begins looping back in time, showing us the events from different characters' point of view; each new version begins a little earlier, or runs a little later, filling in new details and perspectives.
The role of Andy is tailor-made for Hoffman; no one plays sweaty desperation so well. The surprise is that Hawke keeps up with him; he does his best work in years as Hank, who's none too bright and is just beginning to realize that looks and charm aren't going to carry him much further. There's also fine work from Albert Finney as the boys' father and Marisa Tomei as Andy's wife.
One of the things I love about the movie is that it turns out not to be just a crime thriller (though it is that, and a very good one, filled with tension), but a compelling family drama. The Hanson family is a mess, and as the various members come to realize the ways in which they've been betrayed by one another, the anger and the buried resentment come bubbling to the surface.
Kelly Masterson's screenplay is taut and clever, and for once the looping time structure (so common in movies these days) doesn't feel like a mere gimmick; the story becomes richer and more intricate, and the relationships more complex, with each iteration.
This is one of the year's best movies; highly recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment